Dragon's Flame
by UntoldTruthsK
Summary: This isn't your average Adrienette story. Everything is miserable as Marinette changes for the worst. It's up to a new protagonist who comes to Paris for her cure, but can she set the line straight before everything begins to crumble?
1. Prologue

"No! I don't want to" I screamed at my mother.

"Honey, this is not a bad thing. You have been chosen by the gods!" She tried to pull me out from under the bed.

"Il-Sung, can you please help me?"

I'm done if my father catches me. I'll be off to Paris the second he touches me. Sliding out from under the bed, I ran out of my room to the kitchen.

"Seo Hyeong! You come back her this instant!" My father boomed from the living room.

Bounding for the door, my older brother rammed into me, bring me to the ground.

"Ow! Let off,l I struggled underneath him.

"Please listen just this one time. You're lungana said that the cure is in Paris."

" I don't care what Blaise says. I'm not leaving!" I screamed. "Appa, you must let me go!"

"Seo Hyeong, get in the car." My father growled. "If you make me ask twice, I'll knock you unconscious until you're on the plane."

I gave up. If my father says something like that, he will do it.

Dragging my shoes, I got into the car. The driver silently closed the door behind me. As the buildings whizzed by, the building pain in my chest bursted.

"Aash!" I cried, gripping my chest.

"Seo Hyeong!" My brother unbuttoned my blouse, revealing the blue and silver scales creeping from my heart like vines.

"It's getting worse." He cursed. "Where's that lungana?"

"Please don't ask." I gasped.

"Did you really put it back in the box?" He sighed. It was a rhetorical question. He knows that I never wear the charm. No charm: no lungana.

My brother started digging in the pocket of my coat, gripping the little gold encrusted black box. Opening it, a little gold and blue ball zipped around my head and shimmered into a blue and white dragon.

"Hey! Long time no see!" The lungana flipped onto his back.

"Blaise, get back into the box."

"No can do, SH."

My brother took out the silver dragon bracelet and slid it onto my wrist. To my horror, it fit perfectly. The lightning black stone caught the light, making the bracelet look alive.

"Appa, I don't want to leave you." I whispered.

"If you don't, you'll die." He said shortly.

I was silent in the car. I was silent in the airport. I was silent as I boarded my plane. I nodded my goodbye, then walked to my suite, my father's last words rang in my head.

"Agreste has agreed to house you. Remember your manners, and find your cure. Don't come back until you do."

My brother had handed me my black satchel.

"And please don't die."

I leaned back on my bed, shuffling through my bag. I pulled out a black and white jacket with short sleeves with a blue shirt wrapped in it. A note said 'It's gonna be hot'

Tears streamed down my face. Everything felt so real now. I was chosen out of thousands to get Blaise. And, out of those odds, the curse reappeared. Now, I'm leaving everything behind.

Slipping on my new clothes, I peered out the window, the clouds rolled under me, leaving the sky an impossible blue. It shouldn't be this blue. It should be dark and bleak.

I shut the blinds: shut out the world. I curled up in the crisp sheets.

"God, please leave me alone. Please let me die."


	2. Chapter 1

"Ma'am, ma'am." A flight attendant shook me awake.

"We're landing in five minutes."

I shook my head free of the cobwebs of sleep.

"Thank you." I dismissed her.

I collected my black satchel and stretched, realizing in dismay that my parents have already sent my stuff ahead of time. I miss Seoul already.

The plane landed, throwing me out of the bed.

"Passengers, we have successfully landed in Paris, France. The weather here is sunny with temperatures of 75 degrees Fahrenheit, 23 degrees Celsius."

"Twenty three? You've got to be kidding me." I mumbled. Swinging my satchel over my shoulder, I exited my compartment. As I started walking Up the gateway, I could hear cameras clicking and multiple people talking.

"I wonder if someone famous was on that plane." I wondered. Then, I exited the gate.

"And there she is! The special guest of fashion designer Gabriel Agreste. Excuse me, miss, but can you tell us about your visit?"

I was starstruck. Why must this be a big deal? I raked my hands through my blond streaked brown hair and gave a small fake laugh.

"It's nothing, really. Nothing of importance." I tried to push it off.

"Can you give us a better understanding of that?"

"Well-oh." A meaty hand clamped down onto my shoulder. Looking up, a man that had a strong resemblance to a gorilla started pulling me away from the crowd.

"Wait, miss we have more questions!" The reporter was cut off with a grunt from the gorilla man.

As the crowd grew more distant, I stepped closer to the gorilla man. Everything here was so different. Then, I wondered about the man taking me away. Who was he? Why was he here? Why am I still following him?

I guess he sensed my questions.

"Agreste." He grunted. Oh. He works for Mr. Agreste. That makes sense.

Outside, the heat almost knocked me down. Even the temperatures here isn't even remotely close to Seoul's. The gorilla man opened the door to a platinum car. You could tell by the way he treats it that it must be crazy expensive.

I climbed into the car and strapped in.

"You must be Ren." I jumped at the voice. Whipping my head around, a young woman with black hair and red ends stared into my soul, emotionless.

"I'm Natalie, Gabriel Agreste's personal assistant. You are aware of who he is, correct?"

I nodded, not really understanding.

"Good. You will be attending school and learning Chinese and fencing. You will also be dining at 9:00, 1:00, and 7:30. Failure to appear at these events would cause for a full search of Paris-"

Wait, a search party? She lost me now. Natalie pushed her glasses up, then continued talking. I zoned her out.

Finally, the car approached black gates. Behind them, a five story mansion. On the left, you could see the Eiffel Tower.

"Manners, young lady." I scolded myself.

The inside was all black and white. White stairs, black railings. White floors, black walls. Honestly, why should I be surprised?

"Your room is two doors down on the right. Your things have already been put in your room."

Natalie then left me in this empty house. Climbing up the marble stairs, the pressure on my chest was noticeably worse.

"No. Not until no one can see."

Clutching the strap of my satchel, I quickened my steps. Bursting into my room, I collapsed next to a low bed.


	3. Chapter 2

"SH!" Blaise flew out of my jacket.

"Don't-call me-that." I gasped.

The scales have spread even more, the scaled pattern more detailed.

"We need to find him. We need to find the guardian."

"Guardian?" I groaned, crawling on top of the sheets.

"We really need to talk. You didn't give me much time before." Blaise hovered over me.

"Should we start with the introduction and see how things go from there?"

"Sure. Go for it." I said through my teeth.

Blaise sniffed. "I'm Blaise, your lungana. I'm the perfect balance of destruction and reincarnation. You are the ideal vessel for my power, and you can do really cool stuff. Sadly, you've inherited the Curse. The Curse is when scales start growing all over your body, then you slowly and painfully dissolve-"

"Please don't." I begged, feeling the skin around the scales burn.

"Sorry."

"The cure? Something about a Guardian?" I reminded him.

"Did you miss the part when I said you basically had superpowers?"

"One step at a time. The Guardian."

"So the Guardian guards all the Kwamis. Hence the name 'Guardian'"

"I thought you were a lungana."

"I am _the _lungana. Kwamis fall under me. I'm not going to go through the whole Kwami family tree because someone always gets offended one way or the other. Okay, back on topic. To find the cure, you need to find a kwami and it's owner. The owner has to fall in love with you and one kiss can heal you."

"Oh, come on. This isn't some love story."

"It's been like that for centuries. It's _really_ complicated."

"You said something about superpowers?"

Blaise was about to speak when people outside began to scream.

"How about we find out? Say Wings Unfold."

"Wings unfold, I guess?" Blaise turned into his energy ball again and disappeared into the black stone. The dragon turned gold and the stone became blue. A warm feeling spread over my body and everything felt in place for a moment. When the feeling passed, I put my hands in front of me.

"Woah." My hands were in tight blue and white gloves and my nails were more like talons. Something wrapped around my leg and I pulled off a tail. The tail flaps moved at my wish. I felt something warm on my back and I grabbed a wing.

"Too cool." I pulled an extendable staff that relaxed into a razorwhip with a snap and back again.

"We need to go." A voice ordered in my head.

"Blaise!"

"Stop staring and jump out the window, I can sense two kwami vessels."

Obediently, I opened the window.

"Jump."

Falling into a nosedive, I extended my wings and sped forward too fast to do anything.

"Here. I'll guide, you look."

Everything felt so out of wack, but so _free._

"Okay. Chill out-OH MY GOD A FALCON!"

I saw a huge bird come straight at me. Going under, I instinctively pulled out my whip and snapped it. The whip curled around a leg on the falcon and I pulled back.

"On, beast!" A young girl who looked like she was almost made of paper was trying to force the giant bird on. Looking closer, the falcon was also made of paper. In the girl's hair was a comb.

"You're not going to escape, Folder!" To the side, a teenage girl wearing a red suit with black polka dots clutched at the waist of a teenage boy with a black suit. He was twisting a silver pole in his hands at a speed that suspended them both in midair.

"Quick, the co-" a volley of paper birds darted at them. They plopped like stones.

"Ha ha!" The Folder said in a nasally voice.

"Oh my God, you're annoying." I landed on the back of the origami falcon.

"Wait- who are-"

"Dragonist. Nice to meet your acquaintance." I plucked the comb from her hair.

"You break this, right?" I snapped it in half. A black butterfly flew out.

"No!" She tried to catch it, but I grabbed it by the wing already.

"Goodnight, little butterfly." And I kissed its head. The butterfly was petrified, stuck in my hand. I stashed it in a little pouch that was tied around my waist. I thrust my hand into the sky and a blue and gold dragon made of pure energy immersed, fixing all the destruction.

"Good job, Ren."

"Why is everyone calling me Ren?"

"That's what your parents put on your certificate to get in here."

"We'll talk about this later."

The Folder's falcon was gone, and so was the Folder.

" Oh my God, I forgot that she can't fly." And I went into a nose dive.

"Help me! Help me, please!" The girl cried below me. I scooped her into my arms.

"Gotcha!" I said, skidding on the cobble streets.

The girl started sobbing against me.

"Shh. Shh. You're safe. Nothing's going to get you."

She curled up in my lap, sobbing. I've never noticed how fragile people could be. I brushed my talons through her hair.

"You!" The ladybug girl ran up to me. On her tail was the boy in black. Now that he was closer, I could see that he had a black tail and black ears. It was safe to say he was supposed to look like a cat.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" Wow. Those are pretty 'on the nose' names.

The girl pressed closer to me.

"You!" Ladybug growled again.

"Me." I agreed.

Ladybug stumbled for a minute, trying to find words. I couldn't even help her find them.

"I think you need to get home." I told the girl once I got tired of her stuttering.

"Can you take me?" She asked in a small voice.

"Of course, sweetie." I took her hand and we stood up.

"Thanks a lot, Ladybug. I appreciate your help and your hospitality and your help." I turned my back on her, leaving Ladybug shaking in anger.

"Now, child. What seems to be the problem?" I switched my attention to the task at hand.

"A kid at school- she- ripped the origami book my mother gave me before she died. She said it was for Ladybug. She's been getting more violent-and-" the girl burst into tears again.

"Shh. It's okay. I promise I'm not going to hurt you." There was a hiccup from the girl.

"Who are you? You're not like Ladybug or Chat Noir."

In her hand, she had pulled out her phone. I could see myself in the camera.

"Well, I'm more on a… higher rank." I kind of evaded the question.

"How?"

"In every single way, I guess."

The girl was about to prod even further, but a call cut her off.

"Tina!" A woman who must've been her grandmother ran to her and crushed her in a bear hug.

"Grandmother, look! Dragonist saved me. She saved me!"

Tina's mother looked at me.

"Thank you so much for saving my daughter. I owe you so much."

"You don't owe me one thing."

I swept low enough for my outstretched wings to brush the ground.

"I am the Guardian of Paris now, aren't I?"

With that, I blasted into the sky.


	4. Chapter 3

"SH!" Blaise flew out of my jacket.

"Don't-call me-that." I gasped.

The scales have spread even more, the scaled pattern more detailed.

"We need to find him. We need to find the guardian."

"Guardian?" I groaned, crawling on top of the sheets.

"We really need to talk. You didn't give me much time before." Blaise hovered over me.

"Should we start with the introduction and see how things go from there?"

"Sure. Go for it." I said through my teeth.

Blaise sniffed. "I'm Blaise, your lungana. I'm the perfect balance of destruction and reincarnation. You are the ideal vessel for my power, and you can do really cool stuff. Sadly, you've inherited the Curse. The Curse is when scales start growing all over your body, then you slowly and painfully dissolve-"

"Please don't." I begged, feeling the skin around the scales burn.

"Sorry."

"The cure? Something about a Guardian?" I reminded him.

"Did you miss the part when I said you basically had superpowers?"

"One step at a time. The Guardian."

"So the Guardian guards all the Kwamis. Hence the name 'Guardian'"

"I thought you were a lungana."

"I am _the _lungana. Kwamis fall under me. I'm not going to go through the whole Kwami family tree because someone always gets offended one way or the other. Okay, back on topic. To find the cure, you need to find a kwami and it's owner. The owner has to fall in love with you and one kiss can heal you."

"Oh, come on. This isn't some love story."

"It's been like that for centuries. It's _really_ complicated."

"You said something about superpowers?"

Blaise was about to speak when people outside began to scream.

"How about we find out? Say Wings Unfold."

"Wings unfold, I guess?" Blaise turned into his energy ball again and disappeared into the black stone. The dragon turned gold and the stone became blue. A warm feeling spread over my body and everything felt in place for a moment. When the feeling passed, I put my hands in front of me.

"Woah." My hands were in tight blue and white gloves and my nails were more like talons. Something wrapped around my leg and I pulled off a tail. The tail flaps moved at my wish. I felt something warm on my back and I grabbed a wing.

"Too cool." I pulled an extendable staff that relaxed into a razorwhip with a snap and back again.

"We need to go." A voice ordered in my head.

"Blaise!"

"Stop staring and jump out the window, I can sense two kwami vessels."

Obediently, I opened the window.

"Jump."

Falling into a nosedive, I extended my wings and sped forward too fast to do anything.

"Here. I'll guide, you look."

Everything felt so out of wack, but so _free._

"Okay. Chill out-OH MY GOD A FALCON!"

I saw a huge bird come straight at me. Going under, I instinctively pulled out my whip and snapped it. The whip curled around a leg on the falcon and I pulled back.

"On, beast!" A young girl who looked like she was almost made of paper was trying to force the giant bird on. Looking closer, the falcon was also made of paper. In the girl's hair was a comb.

"You're not going to escape, Folder!" To the side, a teenage girl wearing a red suit with black polka dots clutched at the waist of a teenage boy with a black suit. He was twisting a silver pole in his hands at a speed that suspended them both in midair.

"Quick, the co-" a volley of paper birds darted at them. They plopped like stones.

"Ha ha!" The Folder said in a nasally voice.

"Oh my God, you're annoying." I landed on the back of the origami falcon.

"Wait- who are-"

"Dragonist. Nice to meet your acquaintance." I plucked the comb from her hair.

"You break this, right?" I snapped it in half. A black butterfly flew out.

"No!" She tried to catch it, but I grabbed it by the wing already.

"Goodnight, little butterfly." And I kissed its head. The butterfly was petrified, stuck in my hand. I stashed it in a little pouch that was tied around my waist. I thrust my hand into the sky and a blue and gold dragon made of pure energy immersed, fixing all the destruction.

"Good job, Ren."

"Why is everyone calling me Ren?"

"That's what your parents put on your certificate to get in here."

"We'll talk about this later."

The Folder's falcon was gone, and so was the Folder.

" Oh my God, I forgot that she can't fly." And I went into a nose dive.

"Help me! Help me, please!" The girl cried below me. I scooped her into my arms.

"Gotcha!" I said, skidding on the cobble streets.

The girl started sobbing against me.

"Shh. Shh. You're safe. Nothing's going to get you."

She curled up in my lap, sobbing. I've never noticed how fragile people could be. I brushed my talons through her hair.

"You!" The ladybug girl ran up to me. On her tail was the boy in black. Now that he was closer, I could see that he had a black tail and black ears. It was safe to say he was supposed to look like a cat.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" Wow. Those are pretty 'on the nose' names.

The girl pressed closer to me.

"You!" Ladybug growled again.

"Me." I agreed.

Ladybug stumbled for a minute, trying to find words. I couldn't even help her find them.

"I think you need to get home." I told the girl once I got tired of her stuttering.

"Can you take me?" She asked in a small voice.

"Of course, sweetie." I took her hand and we stood up.

"Thanks a lot, Ladybug. I appreciate your help and your hospitality and your help." I turned my back on her, leaving Ladybug shaking in anger.

"Now, child. What seems to be the problem?" I switched my attention to the task at hand.

"A kid at school- she- ripped the origami book my mother gave me before she died. She said it was for Ladybug. She's been getting more violent-and-" the girl burst into tears again.

"Shh. It's okay. I promise I'm not going to hurt you." There was a hiccup from the girl.

"Who are you? You're not like Ladybug or Chat Noir."

In her hand, she had pulled out her phone. I could see myself in the camera.

"Well, I'm more on a… higher rank." I kind of evaded the question.

"How?"

"In every single way, I guess."

The girl was about to prod even further, but a call cut her off.

"Tina!" A woman who must've been her mother ran to her and crushed her in a bear hug.

"Mother, look! Dragonist saved me. She saved me!"

Tina's mother looked at me.

"Thank you so much for saving my daughter. I owe you so much."

"You don't owe me one thing."

I swept low enough for my outstretched wings to brush the ground.

"I am the Guardian of Paris now, aren't I?"

With that, I blasted into the sky.


	5. Chapter 4

I skidded into my room.

"Blaise, wings veiled." Blaise shot out of my bracket like a rocket. "Woooooooo. Let's go! First save! I want food. I'm starving."

I looked at my watch. "I'm supposed to be going down for dinner around now. I guess you could come with me."

"Oh yes _food_…" Blaise got lost in his fantasy as he look his place on my shoulder.

"Can you please use your superpowers to find the dining room?" I teased, sliding down the railing.

"Mmm...this way!" And I started off the path he pointed to.

"You need to take a more flexible approach next time. My guess is that you're going to have to work around Chat Noir and Ladybug."

"Or more like through them." I mumbled.

I opened the door to the dining room just as Blaise disappeared into my jacket. Natalie was standing in the corner, holding a steaming plate of food.

"Lights out at 10:00." She placed it in front of me and left. As I sat down, I noticed another placing with food already laid out across from me. Mr. Agreste would eat at the head of the table. So, does he have a child? No. I would have seen them. Then again, I haven't been here long enough to find out.

"Ooooh, I smell food." Blaise peeked his nose out of my jacket.

"Take what you want. I'll eat the rest."

Oh, yes. I haven't eaten meat in centuries." He attacked my pork chop.

I was walking calmly down the hallway when a boy ran straight into me. Blaise made a squeaking noise.

"I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"No, it's my fault." And he continued sprinting the way I just came. Blaise peeked out.

"I could feel the kwami on that kid. That's so Chat Noir!"

"You can sense kwamis?" I stared at him.

"Like how I sense a pork chop."

"Then that's not very convenient. I think that's Mr. Agreste's son." I walked back to my room.

"You know what comes next, right? You're going to have to-"

"I don't even know his name. Maybe we should just-gah!"

My chest attacked me again. This time, it was worse. Black dots dotted my vision.

"Ren, Ren. Talk to me." But I couldn't. The pain had stolen my tongue. I collapsed onto a chair, trying to remember how to breathe.

"That's it. Relax." Blaise sat on the desk as the pain resided into a dull throb. There was a knock at the door.

"Blaise. Hide." I hissed. He turned into his ball of energy and shot into the chandelier above. The door opened and Agreste's son popped his head in.

"Can I come in?" He asked politely.

"Sure. Why not?"

He sat on my bed and looked around.

"This place used to be nothing. Natalie really fixed it up."

I nodded, not really following.

"I'm Adrien. Gabriel Agreste's son."

"Ren. Ren Parkson." I used the name my parents put on the certificate. My actual name sounded to foreign: too _weird _in this country.

"Why'd you come here? My father's never taken anyone before."

"Well, um, I can't-well-can't really...explain." I stumbled, trying to make the blow softer, but failed miserably.

Adrian sighed. "Anything of real importance is always kept from me."

We sat in silence for a minute. It wasn't awkward, though. It seemed more of a connection- a mutual understanding of where we both stood in each other's perspective.

"What is it like? Where you're from, I mean. I haven't met anyone whose ever traveled out of France."

"You have to ask me deeper questions. Everything here is so different."

Adrian paused for a moment.

"The people. How are the people different?"

"Well, everyone in Seoul that are just walking are quick, but polite in the whole. I remember I met my best friend in the streets. He was handing out flyers and the wind picked them up. Me and a few other helped him and I accidentally fell on top of him trying to escape a biker." I smiled at the memory. "We were best friends ever since."

Adrian seemed content with my story.

"You're family?"

"They love me very much. It would be devastating if one of us were to part." I didn't mention that I was the one that was in danger: that I was going to be the one to die. Adrian's phone buzzed.

"I need to go. See you, Ren." And he left me. I waited until I was sure he was gone, then shut the door quietly. I rested my head against the door.

"Ren? You good?"

"No. This- this whole thing is messed up. I can't fall in love with him. I can't, Blaise."

He landed on my shoulder. "But you must. I'm sorry, but you must fall in love with Chat Noir." He hung his head somberly.

"In a week, when school starts, we'll find Ladybug. Then, the Guardian can help you on your decision with Chat Noir."

I fell on top of my bed, my tears mixing with my hair.

"Blaise, why?Chat Noir- why?And Adrian… why?" I whispered.


	6. Chapter 5

"Ren. Be excited! It's your first day of school!" Blaise interrupted my dreamless sleep.

"Shut up and leave me alone." I groaned.

"No. And is that how a superhero acts?"

"Fine. I'm up." I groaned.

"You've got twenty minutes until you have to go. Did I give you enough time?"

"Too much time, actually." I started to get dressed.

"Really? Your old school uniform?"

"I don't have anything else, okay?" I snapped.

"Here. Use the black and white jacket. Less formal. And have a croissant. They're to die for."

He stuffed a crescent shaped piece of bread in my mouth while I brushed my hair.

'Mmm…" The bread was sweet and crispy on the outside but moist and gooey on the inside.

"Told you." He followed me as I sifted through my wardrobe until I found my makeup and jewelry.

"I like this one." He pulled out my gold laurel wreath from Rome.

"Blaise. Too showy."

"No, it's not. It's pretty

"Wrong country, then."

"No, it's not. Tomato, potato."

"Fine."

I brushed my hair out again and placed it delicately on my head. In the mirror, I did look a little prettier and it wasn't showy at all.

"And these." he put the trinity bracelets on my other wrist and slipped a ring on my finger.

I went through my regular routine through my makeup. When I looked into the mirror again, I was looking at a beautiful young woman who was strong, kind, and confident in herself. She was a total lie.

"Come on. We need to get going." Blaise pushed me when he saw my eyes.

"It'll never feel like home, will it? I miss being myself."

Blaise looked at me with understanding eyes and disappeared into my jacket.

I grabbed my satchel and walked into the hallway.  
Adrien hit me with the force of a car. He knocked me down, then rolled next to me.

"Sorry." He blushed

"Adrien, come here." Natalie's stoning voice came from the end of the hallway.

"Please help me." He whispered.

I nodded, knowing, that we'd both be in trouble if he got caught. I helped him to his feet and motioned him into my room, closing the door softly behind him.

"Thanks. Now, we can use the exit in the bathroom." And he bolted to the bathroom and opened the white door hidden by the rack of towels.

We sped down the stairs and I jumped into the platinum car. He came tumbling after me.

"Drive" he ordered, putting his hands behind his head.

As the car started moving, the building pressure on my chest backed down. It's nice to be around him. It feels like the atmosphere around Adrien made everything better.

We pulled up to a large building that was along the Seine River.

"Hurry. They'll lock us out if we're late." He jumped out of the car, pulling me along with him.

We fell in step with the crowd as everyone filed into their classrooms. Everyone went in sat in their assigned seats, and I had a mental panic attack. Where to sit?

Glancing up, all the back seats were empty. Home sweet home. I slid into the seat, everyone below me so no one could see me. Perfect. Just the way it should be. The teacher walked in, her little pastel pink shoes clicking on the tile.

"Good morning, class!" She reminded me of a therapist.

"Good morning, mademoiselle Bustier!" Oh my God, she's brainwashed them all. I thought this was school, not a youth group.

"Before we start, I would like to introduce someone who has traveled very far to be with us. Seo-Hyeong, can you please introduce yourself?"

The blood drained out of my face. I forgot about the most nerve wracking part: teacher introductions.

"Se-Hy-what? What kind of name is that?" Some diva scoffed. The class giggled.

I dug through my bag and pulled out the biggest book I had. Sadly, it was in Korean.

I held it in front of my face and walked to the front of the class.

"So, tell us who you are, where you're from, and three facts about yourself." She plucked the book from my hands.

"Taygou, I'm Seo-Hyeong, Ren for short. I'm from Seoul, I'm a transfer, I'm multilingual, and I don't like introductions."

Whispers went around the room.

"Can you please repeat that? I don't not think we heard you." The teacher leaned to me. "French, please." She whispered.

I felt everything go to my shoes. Dang it, my nerves got the best of me and I spoke in the wrong language.

I repeated everything again in French, then took my book and sprinted back up, hiding under the desk.

"Thank you. Now, to help our new friend out, I would like one volunteer to sit with her for the time being."

Adrien's hand went up right away. I thought he was going to blast out of his seat for a second.

Wow. He's… excited. He shouldn't be though. He should stay far away from me.

"Adrien! Thank you for your participation." She smiled really big as he grabbed his stuff and sat next to me. I pressed against the window, feeling my chest tighten like a snake.

I noticed someone was watching me. A girl with black pigtails like Ladybug was drilling holes into me with her eyes. Like Ladybug...

"Marinette, Marinette!" The teacher snapped her fingers to get her attention.

"What?" She snapped, breaking her hold on me.

"Focus, please. And don't use that tone with me, we've been over this."

The teacher was a pushover and Marinette was really close to Ladybug's 'pleasant' characteristics.

"Now, please open your English books to page 114, and we'll begin reading on the first paragraph."


	7. Chapter 6

I was out of that class the second the bell rang. Piling everything inside my locker, I slammed it to reveal Marinette's glowering face.

"So. You're the transfer." She growled.

I nodded, sinking into my jacket. Oh no.

"You think you rule this place?" She took a step forward.

"No." I whispered.

The blonde girl who made fun of my name came up next to her. She scoffed.

"Then why are you-" She flicked my nose, "Hanging out with my Adrikins?"

"I-I need to go." I whispered, and turned on my heel.

"Hey! You come back here!" Marinette shouted. I was already around the corner.

Back in Seoul, I was a 100 and 300 meter sprinter and hurdler. In other words, I was fast. I skidded into the courtyard, and the janitor was cleaning the floors. I easily scaled over him and collided into Adrien.

"We really need to stop meeting like this." He joked.

"Yeah. Agreed." I muttered, pushing his hands off me and getting to my knees. Adrian held out his hand and I took it, having him help me to my feet.

"That was a wicked jump." He complimented me.

"And it's not much. I do-oh." I looked back and there was dirty water all over the floor. Marinette and the blonde girl were lying in the middle of it.

"Girls! What is the meaning of this?" Professor Damocles, the principal, scolded them.

"He-He pushed me!" Marinette lied, pointing to the janitor.

"Yeah! You're fired!" The blonde girl ordered.

"A-Chloe- is that-" Professor Damocles hesitated.

"I'll tell daddy." Chloe half threatened, half whined, waving her phone.

"Ah- no. There's no need to disturb the mayor." He turned on the janitor. "For your rude behavior to these two girls, you will take a leave of absence. Forever."

"But-but I didn't!" The janitor cried.

"Professeur Damocles shook his head and pointed to the door.

The janitor hung his head and brushed past Adrien.

"Ew! This water is dirty!" Chloe screamed. "This is ridiculous. Utterly RI-diculous." You'll pay for this, Ren-See-hugo!" She wizzes past me.

"You need to pick your enemies. I am NOT a good one." Marinette stomped up to me,

"Marinette." Adrien rolled his eyes. "Don't you think you're being a bit-well, a bit mean?"

"I- ah- um- uh-" She began to studded."Um, yeah. You're being being mean- no I'm being meant-mean. Sorry."

She walked by me, hitting me in the shoulder. I caught, "This isn't over," and then she was gone.

"Sorry, Marinette's not been herself these past months. See, she was this huge Ladybug fan and after she changed, Marinette changed as well. She ditched her friend Alya and started rubbing elbows with Chloe."

Adrian opened the door to the car for me.

"She was really nice. I could've even liked her. But now… I guess this is her. Home, please."

He was quiet for a moment, staring dreamily out the window. The way the light shines on him made him look like an angel.

"Have you heard about the new superhero?" He sighed.

"No." I lied, twirling my hair around my finger.

"Dragonist. She's majestic and smart and pretty… she's a lot like the old Ladybug, but she feels more-whole. Don't tell anyone, though. Nino would torch me."

I nodded slightly, even though I didn't have any idea who Nino was.

"Tomorrow, I was wondering if-"

Something slammed into the car, throwing it back a few feet. I was flung against the side of the car and onto the floor at Adrien's feet.

"We need to go now." He opened the door and we both jumped out just as the car was flung to the side.

"I am the Detective, and you will be punished for your lies!"

The janitor, as I expected, was akumatized. Adrien realized that now.

"Ren, you need to get home now. Just run along this street and you'll find it."

Adrien ran one way and I ran the opposite. Sliding into an alley, Blaise flew out of my shirt.

"You're not following lover boy's advice, are you?"

"No. And, don't call him that. He doesn't like me and I don't like him. Blaise, wings unfold." The warm feeling spread over me and I pulled out my whip.

"Okay. From the brief evaluation I had, the victim is the janitor and the Akamai is in his keys." Blaise thought. "Now, you're probably going to have to work with some other kwami-"

"No! Why?" I whined, coming out into the street I left Adrien.

"Shut up and listen. Oh, wait. Incoming cat."

Looking up, Chat Noir was coming in hot. Oh, God. Looking around, I hooked the whip around his foot and jumped to a rooftop. I swung it around so the whip wrapped around the lamppost. I jumped down to say hi.

"Why, we meet again." Chat Noir teased, spinning around in a circle. "I've only met you once and I'm already falling into your-"

"Oh, is there a new couple in Paris?" The Detective must've found us.

"Maybe it's time you let us in on your secrets you've lied to keep."

"Chat Noir, run." I yelled, untangling him with a snap. Chains shimmered in the Detective's hands and he threw them, narrowly missing my wing.

"The keys at his waist!" I shouted. "And where's Ladybug?"

"She got- um- stuck. On the side of a building." We rolled behind a car.

"Come on, now. Let's see what lies you've told." A chain broke through the window and threw the car against a building. We were exposed.

"Got any plans yet?" Chat Noir gulped.

I looked around. I could wrap him in his own chains. Going on a guess, he undos chains with the keys. But what about keeping him still? No time. I just hope I'm fast enough. But, maybe I could use Chat Noir. There would be a better chance of this even working.

I looked at Chat Noir and I could tell that he knew that I had a plan.

"Chat Noir! What are you doing?" Ladybug was crouched on the rooftop. No, not now. This is bad. _Really _bad.

"Ladybug-you-"

"Had to detransform, yeah. I kn-oof!" She was trapped in chains.

"L-ah!" Both of them now. Dang it, Ladybug, you messed up.

"Now, we'll start the interrogation now. Then, your miraculouses will be mine. Now, for the truth. Ladybug, Chat Noir! Have you lied to keep your identities a secret."

"Yes!" Both of them shouted.

"Um, hello. I think you forgot about me." I teased, waving my hands from the side of the building. "The one with the lungana."

I ran to Chat Noir since he was the closest.

"Talons!" I shouted and blue tendrils of smoke wrapped around my fingers. I racked my hand down the chains, turning them to particles that trailed back to my claws.

"Chat Noir! Staff! Now!" Chains flew at us and wrapped around our staffs.

"On the sides and pass yours to me!" We sprinted around.

"Batter up, Draco!"

"Across the plate, Chat Noir!"

We traded chains and the momentum finished the wrapping process.

"Remember the keys!" I shouted.

"Cataclysm!"

I saw his hand glisten as though it was glazed over and black particles shoot out of it just before he touched the keys. They turned rust colored and broke into pieces as the akuma slid out.

"Excuse me, little akuma." I caught it between my hands.

"But it's time to take a little nap." I kissed its head and it was petrified: frozen in time forever.

"Woah. That's cool." Chat Noir rapped his claws on a wing, sounding like glass. "But would it happen to me?"

I shook my head.

"Good. Then our first kiss won't be my last." He leaned in, but I already turned away to release my dragon. It was oddly satisfying to watch it fix the destruction.

"Pound it?" He offered.

"No, that's a really bad idea. And Draco? What's that about?" I asked.

"You don't like it?"

No, it's fine. Just a little… weird I guess."

"No, this is not happening." Ladybug fumed. "You're not going to show up and take my place."

I shrank away, not wanting to be in this conversation.

"She was doing what she felt right." Chat Noir put his hand on my shoulder, looking deep into my eyes.

"Ladybug, I think you need to cool down." He said slowly.

"Cool down? Me? Talk to the lizard!" She shouted.

"This isn't fair. Ever since that one akuma attack a few months ago, you've… changed."

"No I didn't! You're the one who's changed. Listen to yourself! She's- she's brainwashed you! She- she's Hawkmoth!"

Chat Noir shifted his attention to his feet.

"Ladybug, I'm breaking up this partnership."

She reeled back. "No! You-you can't! It's against the rules! By ourselves, we'll destroy everything in our path. You are destruction!"

"You will. I think I already found my new partner." He looked at me with hopeful eyes. No. This is not what I came here for. Please, before it's too late.

Chat Noir's ring beeped.

"I need to go. Don't take this personally, Ladybug. It's me, not you." He left, bounding over rooftops.

"You! You did this! You know what? I'm done. I'm done being under appreciated. Lucky charm!"

She tossed her yo yo into the sky and a black dotted red cloak fell down. On the back was an akuma. She pulled it on and started digging at her ears. She slapped a pair of earrings in my hands.

"Take them. I'm done."

Her ladybug cloak turned black and she ran away. I need to contact Chat Noir. I think I know why Ladybug is like this.


	8. Chapter 7

"Aye! You got a miraculous!" Blaise circles around the earrings.

"Am I just going to wear them? I don't think it's smart to wear two charms. Here. Put them in your bracelet. You can have a kwami friend."

Blaise picked them up and circled around his charm.

"How about one on each side? That'll be pretty." He clipped them in and a pink ball of energy circled around my head. In front of me, a pink kwami with two large black spots on her cheeks and one on her forehead. She opened her eyes.

"Where's M- my owner?"

"I'm sorry, little kwami." I scooped her into my hands. "But Ladybug quit."

"What?" She squeaked. "And she handed my miraculous to- to you?"

"Yeah. I guess so." I shrugged.

"You- you aren't Hawkmoth, are you?"

"What- no! Why does everyone ask that? I don't even know who he is. I'm Dragonist."

"Oh. Hawkmoth is the villain who's been akumatizing everyone."

"Nice to know. You have a name, little kwami?"

"Tikki."

"Ren. And this is Blaise. My lungana, his vessel."

"The lungana? He exists?" Tiki gasped.

"In the flesh, Tiki." Blaise did a barrel roll. "Sorry it took so long. I got stuck in Asia. I was worshipped for a century of two." He wiggled his eyebrows.

I stopped paying attention to their conversation. The pain in my chest had started without me knowing. Now, it was rising to its peak. I stifled my cry and fell against the glass.

"Oh, no. Ren, Ren. Stay with me. Breathe, breathe." Blaise started panicking.

"It's- it's getting worse." I got out.

"What's wrong?" Tiki asked in an innocent voice.

"Ren's sick. By sick, I mean she's dying. See, the curse reappeared and we need to see the master."

"I can't take her out in broad daylight. It's too risky. She has until tonight, right?"

Blaise looked at me. "The rate has slowed down, but she only has a month. Can she fall in love that fast?"

"It might be too late for one kiss."

"What?" I groaned, trying to stand up again.

"Well, I can't help you because my previous owner can't help you. Chat Noir already seems to like you-"

"That can't be true. And, I can't date my host's son." Her jaw dropped.

"Yes, I've figured him out. And, I have my suspicions that Marinette is- well was- Ladybug. And, by the way your eyes are bugging out of your head, I'm right."

I leaned heavily on the glass. "We need to fix this as fast as possible. I don't want to die."

There was a soft knock on my door. Tikki and Blaise flew into my jacket. Adrien opened the door. "You okay? Today was crazy. I'm sorry that happened today, out of all days."

I nodded, forcing myself to stand by myself even though it made my head swim.

"You ready for Chinese? You'll have to catch up, though."

I smiled, taking the book he offered to me. We don't need to tell him I'm fluent in Chinese, too.


	9. Chapter 8

"Ren, Ren. Ren, wake up." Tiki's voice flitted in my ear.

"Hm? Yeah. I'm up." I rubbed sleep from my eyes

"Suit up. Now is a good time to leave."

"Blaise, wings-"

"No. Use Tiki." Blaise yawned.

"Fine. Wait, what are your power words?"

"Spots on and spots off."

"Tiki, spots on."

The warm feeling spread over my body, but this feeling was more like butter and less strong. Looking down, I was wearing the Ladybug suit, but even that looked a bit different.

"Blaise, is red my color?"

"I prefer you in my suit. Blue's your true color."

He latched onto my hair. I pulled out the yo yo.

"I prefer my whip." I jumped out the window and threw the yo yo. It wrapped around a chimney and I started retracting to it.

"I'm more agile." Blaise bragged.

"Right now, I'm like a gymnast. How can you be more agile than a gymnast."

"Shut up and hang a right. Good thing it's only five blocks away."

I followed his directions, landing in front of a Japanese spa.

"This it?"

"Yep. I can almost taste the kwamis."

I opened the door and came face to face with a bamboo one.

"Tiki, spots off. Blaise, wings unfold." I switched quickly, then knocked on the door.

"Coming." Came a singsong voice from inside. The door opened and an old Japanese man with a floral shirt rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Gah!" He jumped back.

"Please help me. I'm on borrowed time." I begged.

"F-f-fine. P-please don't h-hurt me." He stammered. I walked in, and the pain hit me like a wave. I collapsed, clutching my chest.

The old man gasped. "You- you have the lungana." He bowed. "I didn't see. I thought it disappeared centuries ago."

"I carry the curse- please help me- I can't stand it anymore- it's only a matter of time until I have one of these at school or in the field."

"Hmm. Where?"

"You've got to be kidding. My chest, you-" my curse was cut off by a shout of pain.

"Ah. The worst. Please detransform so I can see the damage."

" I would rather have my identity be kept a secret."

"Here, then. A mask." He handed me a masquerade mask. I de-transformed with my back to him and pulled up my hair and slipped on the mask. He unbuttoned my shirt halfway and traced the blood lines scales.

"A case like this hasn't been seen in, well, forever. Usually, it's a limb, but rarely the chest. And, it is rare to have scales, but more like ink lines. And, inside of that, it rarely causes pain, but more of a tingling feeling. And, inside of everything, it rarely kills. The old man looked at me. "You've gotten the curse that affects one in a universe."

"That's great. Fantastic. Now, what is the cure?"

Ladybug. Her kwami and her bond can heal you. Their partnership is the only thing strong enough-"

"That option's ruled out."

Dread dropped into my stomach as I buttoned my shirt.

"Why?"

"Tikki. You can come out now."

She flew out of my jacket.

'What? No!"

"She um- Marinette- sorta kinda quit." I rang my hands. This is already bad.

"Oh no. the bond is broken." He started pacing."So now there's… Chat Noir. Are you fond of him?"

"Well, yeah. Adrien's nice an all, but…" I blushed.

"You- you know who they are?"

"Oh, yeah. She put pieces together." Blaise landed on my shoulder.

"Master Fu, something's wrong with Marinette. She's been acting, well, negatively.' Tikki sat on my other shoulder. 'I think she's half akumatized."

"Wait. _Half _akumatized?" I looked at her.

"If an akuma is injured and then akumatizes someone, they don't change and they're not under Hawkmoth's control. But, if the anger bursts, then they could be double akumatized, making them almost impossible to stop."

"If Marinette is under this control, then you should keep the ladybug kwami and take one of these."

Master Fu went to a gramophone and pushed two buttons on the top left and on the bottom right. The top opened, revealing different miraculouses.

"I want you to wear one. Combining different miraculouses enhances your power."

I looked at them. The first one that caught my eye was the fox. I took it, putting the necklace on. An orange ball circled me and a miniature orange fox materialized.

"You ready to pounce?" She asked. "Trixx, at your service," she looked around, locking eyes with Blaise.

"The lungana!" She yipped, rubbing herself all over him. "Oh, we've missed you."

"Why did u ask me if I liked Ad- Chat Noir?" I asked, Trixx sitting in top of my head.

"You are in a position where you would have to stay with a strong miraculous holder. In other words, you're going to have to be with Chat Noir for the rest of your life."

"What? What happened to one kiss and it's fixed?"

"Your condition is too serious. The scales will slowly recede, but the curse would come back after a certain time of not being with him."

"So how do you want me to break this to him? 'Hi. I'm dying and if you don't stay with me forever, then I'll crumble to dust.' I think something's off there."

"Well, I have been watching you, and Chat Noir is quite fond of you and you of him. It would work out better that you say it would."

I stumbled back, the kwamis hanging on.

"I-I've stayed here too long. Thank you." I looked over my shoulder.

"Who wants to help me get home?"

"Ooh! Me!" Tiki and Blaise both called.

"Tiki, spots on. Blaise, wings unfold."

I threw off the masquerade mask as the dragon one replaced it.

"The dragon and ladybug both suit you. It's been a long time since this has happened. Dragonist, take care."

I nodded, and jumped out the window using the yoyo.

I landed on the roof of Agreste Manor as I de-transformed.

"I guess that's what happens if you combine two miraculouses. Double the power. Trixx, you here?"

"Accounted for." She flew out of somewhere.

"I sense Adrien." Blaise sniffed.

"Oh no. Please don't tell me he's in my room. Everyone, take a spot."

They flew around me for a second, then all three dove into my jacket, nestling into different pockets. I'm so lucky this jacket has five pockets. I stepped in front of the big window and opened the window, shutting it behind me.

"How long have you been out?"

Adrien was propped up in his bed under the covers.

"Dang it, wrong room. Sorry, bye."

"No, come here."

I sighed quietly through my nose and sat in his desk chair.

"Where were you that didn't call for getting dressed?"

"The roof."

"Ren, come here. Right next to me."

I sat on the bed as far away as I could. It wasn't far enough for comfort, sadly.

"As your friend, I'm worried about you. Something happens before or after I see you, and it hurts you." He grabbed my forearm. "You can tell me. I'll keep it between us." He ran his hand up to my elbow down to my wrist. His touch sent warm shocks to my chest like a painkiller.

"I- I can't, You wouldn't understand."

"Try me." Adrien whispered, extremely close to my face.

"No. I can't right now at one o'clock in the morning."

I pulled away from him, climbing back out the window. I was cold as I crawled back into bed. All three creatures buzzed around my room to find a sleeping spot.

"I've got to go deal with Marinette tomorrow. Yippee." I groaned, falling into the comfort of sleep.


	10. Chapter 9

"Wake up. Time for school." Tikki whispered in my ear. I rolled out of bed, grabbing clothes from my closet.

"Duduududduuuddduuuuu!" Trixx made a trumpet noise and placed the laurel wreath on my head. "I crown thee the Queen of the Miraculous."

And she rolled over laughing.

"Thanks, Trixx." I smiled sleepily. "But no."

Blaise handed me a croissant as I started on my makeup.

"So, what are you going to say to Marinette?"

"Um, maybe nothing. Just avoid her, I think. She really needs to calm down, and I don't think I'm going to help that."

"Good plan. But, what about giving me back?" Tikki joined in.

"Do you want to go back? I mean, if you go back now, everything could get worse."

"Good point. Maybe we should try to find the akuma today."

"Maybe we should just write everything down and start checking it off. Everything is so messed up right now."

I grabbed my bag and started downstairs.

"Ren!" Adrien called. Oh no. I forgot about last night.

I stopped and waited as he ran to my side.

"You said you would explain."

"I didn't say anything of the sort." I speed walked to the car. I knew he wouldn't say anything in front of someone.

We were silent until I got out of the car.

"Do remember last night?" He followed me as I climbed the stairs.

"Yeah. Wrong room and everything. Jeez, I'm sorry." I shouldered the door. He pulled me behind the staircase.

"No, it was that I was right about something happening to you. Is it my fault?"

"No, it's not. It's not anyone's fault. It was a bad stroke of luck." I got tired of denying him. Adrien knows, but I need to keep it minor.

"Wow. That was easier than I thought." He mumbled loud enough for me to hear.

"Nothing lethal is wrong with me. If it was, I would tell you." I put my hand on his shoulder and then pulled him from under the stairs.

"Come on. We're going to be late for class." I laughed as though nothing was wrong. I don't need anyone else suspicious.

Just as I started climbing the stairs, I saw Marinette crouched in the corner.

"Go ahead." I urged Adrien when he stopped and looked at me.

"Tell the teacher I'm… using the restroom."

I waited until he walked into class and then went down to her.

"Everything is ruined. Everything has been taken away from me." She sobbed.

I hesitated on approaching her. I've made everything even worse than it had been. I am an awful person for turning her whole world upside down. So many things came crashing down on me. I wish I could change everything with a snap of my fingers, so all the wrong things that shouldn't be wrong would be right.

I turned into the bathroom instead and stared at the mirror and at the monster I've turned into.

Behind me, something black fluttered in the vent. It slipped into the bars and swerved to me.

An akuma.

I sat on the counter and watched as it fluttered around in front of me. With lightning quick reflexes, I grabbed its wing, watching as it fluttered around helplessly.

"Blaise, wings unfold."

I pulled out a syringe from my belt. Slowly, I injected it into the bug.

"Transmitter. Smart." Blaise approved in my head.

"Yeah. Let's hope it lasts long enough for it to get to Hawkmoth."

I let it go. It fluttered in front of me.

"Go back to your master. Tell him Dragonist's coming." I whispered. It circled, then went back through the vent.

"That was really lucky." Blaise approved as he disengaged.

"We'll see. Clearly, Hawkmoth must be getting stronger if he can sense my sadness." I walked out of the bathroom. Marinette was gone. Probably in class.


	11. Chapter 10

She wasn't there after lunch. No one saw her for the rest of the day. When school was out, the rumors finally reached me.

"Once a fan, always a fan. Clearly, Marinette couldn't handle that her sweet Adrien got a girlfriend." Someone rolled her eyes. Chloe was in tears in front of a group of girls.

"I-I can't believe he would- would _date _her. She's s- so foreign and-" she started sobbing again.

I was so confused. Adrien was dating someone? That makes no sense. I have all classes with him and nothing different happened.

"Hey, do you know why everyone is so wired?" Adrien asked, looking worriedly at Chloe. "Marinette's not here and everyone's looking at us."

"I think they think you're dating someone." I moved away from him to a short girl decked in pink with a blond pixie cut.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked since she seemed to be the most approachable.

"Oh, shouldn't you know? You caused it." I was wrong. She was extremely hostile.

"Rose. Calm down." An emo in black and purple put a hand on her shoulder.

"Marinette no showed because she saw that Adrien was- well- dating you." She shrugged.

"Um, no. We're not dating. I'm just staying at his house because his father volunteered to take me."

"Oh. So, nothing's happened? You didn't kiss under the staircase this morning?" Rose looked at me with new eyes.

"Swear I didn't. And what about Marinette?"

"Um- she's had a huge crush on Adrien for almost two years. By huge I mean _huge _huge. And, I guess she kind of-"

"Popped? Broke? Exploded?" I finished.

Rose nodded. "All in one."

Dread filled my stomach. She' s gone. Marinette's set up for getting akumatized again. But, maybe I could get to Hawkmoth before that happens.

I walked back to Adrien, knowing I probably look really pale.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing" I lied. But, I can't really lie about this. He could tell I was lying.

"Did they say something to you?" It sounded a little bit sour.

"It doesn't involve them. It's nothing." I tried to push past him, but he caught my arm.

"Ren, stop pushing me away. I can help you. You don't have to walk this alone, whatever it is."

"The thing is, I have to. Now, I need to set things straight."

Adrien slid his hand down to mine.

"I'm here."

"I know." And I pulled away from his touch.

I started sprinting away, trying to find an alley. Finally, I found one. Pulling a piece of paper from my satchel, I slapped it against the wall. The kwamis and Blaise floated out of my jacket.

"What are you doing? Aren't you fighting Hawkmoth?" Tiki asked.

"Yeah, but I'm doing this first." I took a pencil and started scribbling in my English and Korean mixed shorthand.

"Marinette's half akumatized." I said aloud as I wrote.

"Lost Miraculous. Dying. Need Adrien. Marinette in danger of akuma."

Then I made a separate column.

"Ladybug: Marinette. No kwami. Chat Noir: Adrien. Cat kwami. Dragonist: Ren. Fox, lungana, Ladybug kwami. Hawkmoth: n/a. Butterfly kwami."

"So, what would be our plan to fix the top problems?"

"Go to Hawkmoth and take his Miraculous." Trixx giggled. "Isn't that the number one priority?"

"But, that leaves Marinette permanently half akumatized." Tikki pointed out.

"Well, a small feat for stopping hundred of thousand other victims." Blaise countered.

"No. I owe it to her to fix her." I groaned. "But where is the akuma hiding? Tikki, it's your guess."

"Well, I think the akuma is inside her. So, the only way to fix that is to use Talons on her."

"What? To kill her? That's an awful idea." Blaise's tail flicked angrily.

"No. She'll be okay, but Ren would then have to shape Marinette in her image."

"How does that even make sense?" I fumed. "Fine. I regenerate her. So, she's completely herself. I shape her as her _real _self."

"So 1: stop Hawkmoth. Splice Marinette. Shape her." I wrote.

"Then step 2 is getting Tikki back to her. I'll stop playing superhero and-"

"You can't just disappear, Ren." Blaise sniffed. "Maybe we should return Trixx and Tiki, but tell Master Fu that he can't return Tikki."

"That's not fair. Marinette will probably not remember anything about these few months. Maybe Ren could make her not Ladybug." Tikki fought.

"Why can't Marinette just be Ladybug? Is that not on the table?" I snapped. There was a hesitation from the creatures.

"Ren, do you know what the Cat and Ladybug Miraculous stand for?" Trixx said slowly.

"No, but Tikki needs to get back to Marinette. She's hers, not mine."

"The cat stands for darkness and the ladybug stands for light." Tikki carried on. "The only things before that… was the God. We don't know for sure who or what it was, but it created light and darkness. From there, it created every other kwami. But, of course, it had its own creature, which was the lungana. The lungana finishes the kwami pyramid. So, you must understand that you can't disappear. You could control the light, but you also have the darkness."

"And I can't and I won't. If I was saying that for selfish reasons, I just basically committed suicide. Marinette will be Ladybug."

"Ren, listen to me. You are light, but also darkness. You are in an all of the perspectives, and you will keep Tikki and return Trixx after you defeat Hawkmoth." Blaise ordered. "That is the decision the kwamis. There is no other way."

"Fine. If three kwamis who have been alive since the beginning of time say that there is only one way, I'll do it." I gave up.

"Now that we have that out of the way, what about me?"

"You need to have a very serious talk with with Chat Noir. And not bail out of it."

"I don't want to put him under that mental strain." My brow furrowed.

"Just write it down."

I suppressed a sigh in my throat and wrote it down.

"Who wants to be the honorary kwami or lungana who guards the paper of information from falling into the wrong hands of humiliation?" I asked.

"I will take the burden." Tikki volunteered with a straight face. "But jeez is your handwriting awful."

"Shorthand between Korean and English. No one has ever been able to decode it yet." I handed it over and the paper went into some imaginary kwami pocket.

"And this means you can't use me unless you want your powers to be weakened considerably." Tiki warned.

"Fine with that." I shrugged. "Trixx, let's pounce."

A tingling feeling spread over my body and I was in a fox-like suit. I wiggled the ears on my head.

"Oh, that's cute." Tikki gushed.

"To Hawkmoth." I smiled as Tikki and Blaise hung onto my belt.

I pulled out my staff and looked at the tracker. It was blinking really slowly, so I had only a matter of minutes. But, it was close. It was… at Agreste Manor?

I jumped onto my roof and opened the window to my room. I pressed my ear against the wall. Good. Adrien isn't in his room. I followed my tracker and ended up in Gabriel Agreste's work room. The signal went dead.

"I sense two kwamis." Blaise whispered.

"Two? Is Adrien here?"

"No. One's in the air… and the other is in there."

He flew to a painting of a woman on the wall. Then, he disappeared through it. There were a few clicks and the picture swung open. He grabbed a peacock brooch and brought it to me.

"A miraculous." I breathed. It was split down the middle with a huge crack.

"The missing peacock miraculous!" Tikki squeaked.

"Shh!" I held a claw to her lips.

"Go to my room and stay there. Even if I'm in trouble, don't come. You're too precious."

She opened her mouth to hesitate, but thought better. I waited until she was gone.

"I think it's these seven buttons." Blaise circled around a group of squares and rectangles on the painting.

I rested my finger on them.

"Well, Blaise. This is it. Trixx, pounce out. Blaise, wings unfold."

I waited as the transformation took place.

"Trixx, it was an honor working with you. We come out victorious or not at all. You ready for this?"

Trixx nodded and returned to her miraculous.

I pressed the buttons, and I descended down into the floor.


	12. Chapter 11

Everything was black, and then I rose into a dome. Hundreds of white butterflies danced at my feet. A lone black akuma was on the floor: dead.

"Ah, Dragonist. We finally meet." A voice came from the shadows. I had prepared myself for Hawkmoth, but it wasn't him.

"Come to me." The voice hissed, and I felt my brain splinter to pieces. Everything spasmed into red and black, and I clutched my head.

"Hmm. Very interesting. The things in your head are quite… intriguing."

"Stop!" I screamed.

"Too late, Ren." She laughed. "I am the Mind Master, and you will bow before me. Now, you will call Chat Noir and tell him you're in the Dome and have found Hawkmoth. Disobey, and you will suffer.

The knife feeling came back into my head.

"Stop! I will!" I shouted, pulling out my staff.

"Chat Noir?" I asked.

"Why, hello. You called?"

"I- I need help at the Dome. I- " I had to take a deep breath. "I found Hawkmoth."

"That's amazing, Draco. You're a genius."

I made a squeaking noise on accident.

"You okay? Wait, this is forced. You need help. Dr-" I cut him off. The splintering in my brain started again.

"You didn't play fair." The voice hissed.

"Now, you pay."

A feeling of something tearing me to pieces started. It was agony, starting from my bones to every cell. When it faded, two other copies of myself were on either side of me.

"Now, we wait until we can play." The voice laughed.

When I raised my hand, the other two do the same. Every move I made was copied. I started forming what the game was. It involves me and my other parts, and I have a feeling Chat Noir had to save me in some way. Hawkmoth saw this coming. He killed that akuma. Why didn't I see this?"

"If you move from your spot, then I'll split you until you can't even think straight." The voice laughed again. The glass broke, and Chat Noir came tumbling in.

"Dragonist?" He pointed to the one on my left.

"But, Dragonist." He pointed at my left then at me.

"Chat Noir!" All of my counterparts spoke. I covered my mouth. So did the others. I'm trapped.

"Hello, Chat Noir. You want to play a game? Dragonist for everyone's miraculous." The voice offered.

"I'll play. Anything for her."

"The rules are that she can't move to you and she can tell you who is the real one. You have to pick the correct one. If you win, you get to keep her. If you lose, she gets splintered throughout the universe and I get every miraculous here."

"Don't you dare. Don't play this game." I warned. "Leave me and walk away."

"I can't do that, little Draco. This game will be a piece of cheese." He cracked his fingers.

"Challenge accepted."

"You have until I get bored." And the voice was silent.

"Dragonist, why didn't you get me?" He fumed. I didn't expect him to be angry so fast.

"Because… well, I can't explain because it wouldn't make any sense."

"Nothing makes sense with you." His face softened.

"Now, how can we do this?"

"Wel, how about this?" I moved to my right, but I couldn't get to the other sides of me.

"Oh. I was going to pass through the illusion." I took a deep breath, noticing how that was hard. No. Now is a really bad time.

I clutched my chest, biting my lip.

"What's up? Is something wrong?"

"Just- Nothing." I lied. "Wait, this is impossible. Every part of me is splintered into these three bodies."

"If only you had an outside object. That would help."

"But I do!" I exploded, jumping on my idea. "Trixx, come out and play!" My necklace glowed, and Trixx appeared next to my head.

"Wow. You go yourself in a really bad sitz. right here." She whistled.

"Dragonist! Are you the middle one?" Chat Noir took a hesitant step forward. "Wait, you can't tell me. Dragonist, the true one is in the middle one!"

He started running. Chat Noir touched me, and the other two disappeared. I collapsed under the pressure of my mind and my chest.

"Draco, are you okay?" He forced me to look at him. I dropped my eyes and curled up in his lap. I couldn't breathe.

"Hey, Ren. Listen to me. Listen to my voice." Blaise ordered.

"Just breathe. Don't move and breathe." My throat was closing up. I don't know what to do.

"You're shaking. Relax. They're not going to hurt you anymore. I won't let them."

"Well, isn't this just darling." The voice growled. Through my double vision, someone stepped from the shadows.

It wasn't Hawkmoth, but they were dressed it what seemed like a feminine version of Hawkmoth's suit.

"M-Marinette?" Chat Noir gasped.

"Surprised?" She smirked.

"I- need to help." I gasped, standing up with an effort.

"No. You sit in the corner." He grabbed my shoulder.

"Stop. Let me do this." I growled. "I need to do this."

I extended my staff and snapped it into a whip. Sweat dripped down my face from the effort of staying conscience.

"Marinette, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I have to do this to you." I mumbled.

"I thought you did enough to me already." Pins started digging at my mind. I struggled to breathe, but I stepped to her.

"Stop." The command made my muscles stiffen, but I kept going.

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault. But, it's good I came." The pain turned into knives.

"Because, then I couldn't help you now if I wasn't." I snapped my whip and threw it over a support beam. I grabbed the end and and Marinette slammed me against the wall, making it even harder to breathe. I kicked off the wall and threw the whip around her. I tied it off just as her foot nailed me in the stomach. It didn't matter, though. I put my weight on the other part of the whip, and Marinette hung three feet in the air, unable to move.

"If you struggle, it will get tighter and tighter, like a boa constrictor." I warned. I wrapped my arm around my stomach.

"Talons." I held my other hand in front of me.

"So. This is it. I win." She snarled. "You kill me, and then you'll start to go crazy with guilt. In every single way, I win." She laughed cruelly. I saw Chat Noir cringe. "Cataclysm." He said, then walked next to me.

"I'll do it." He volunteered bravely.

"No. Don't you dare. Neither of you understand. This is my job." I shook my head. "This is my destiny. This is why I got the lungana: to set things right."

I turned back to Marinette. "You're wrong. I win in every single way." I pressed my hand to her chest and watched as she crumbled into blue particles to my claws.

"Step back." I ordered. Chat Noir nodded, and took three steps back.

I pressed the tips of my claws to my lips and blew a kiss. The particles followed, building Marinette from the bottom to the top.

"Right now, she is just a shell. Connect with her, and tell her who she is." Blaise whispered. "But, you'll mark her. She will forever be marked by you."

"I understand." I said aloud. I crossed to her and slowly pressed my forehead to hers.

"You are a bit awkward, sweet, outgoing, joyful and clumsy girl who loves fashion, her friends and family. You are outgoing and have an empathetic personality, but you struggle with self-confidence and self-esteem. In a situation you deem urgent, you become very nervous, awkward, and quick to panic. You are very helpful and are willing to help those who have insecurities. However, opposed to that strength, you lose confidence when in contact with a really big celebrity, or other people who have a greater success than you. You care deeply for other people, usually putting their feelings and interests even before your own, in some cases at a personal cost."

I looked at Chat Noir, and he smiled really big. Clearly, I was doing something right.

"You can act impulsively and irrationally at times. You also express jealousy, sometimes causing you to act irrationally. However, you tend to learn from your mistakes and become a more open-minded, understanding person. Although you are absent-minded and acts before thinking at times, you are clever. Furthermore, you are willing to do a number of risky tasks in order to protect your image. You have a pure heart. You always take your friends feelings very seriously, getting mad at people who hurt them. Your name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, daughter of Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng. I free you from me, Ladybug, and Chat Noir."

I pulled away from her, and she opened her eyes.

"What am I doing here? Where's Alya? Who are you?"

"Calm down. You've been akumatized for a few months." I put my hand on her shoulder. I felt an electric pulse. Marinette pulled off her jacket and lifted up her sleeve. There, was a small black dragon in flight. I marked her. Blaise wasn't kidding.

"Where's Ladybug?" She asked. "Did she leave?"

I looked at Chat Noir. He shrugged.

"She left, and I took her place. We need to leave before something bad happens." I took her hand and passed Chat Noir. His ring beeped.

"Go. I'll take her home."

"But I don't want to leave you. You look like you're about to pass out. Anyway, aren't you going to change?"

I shook my head. "I don't change as fast as you. And, I'll be fine. I promise."

He smiled shyly at me. "Tonight. On the rooftops at eleven." He left before I could say no.

"He likes you." Marinette smiled.

"Yeah, right. You need to get home." I lifted her to the window and grabbed her waist. I used my wings and the staff. Luckily, Marinette remembered where her house was, even though her having any memory made no sense to me.

"Thank you." She said as I landed on her balcony.

"Alert me if you feel weird or wrong at all at any time." I told her.

"I will." And she went inside.

Landing on the roof of my room, I slipped into the window.

"I've never seen you react to an attack like that." Blaise commented, beaming with pride.

"Thanks. It hurt a lot." I collapsed on my bed. Trixx was playing a game of tag with Tikki

"Tikki, can you hand me my paper and the peacock miraculous?" I groaned.

"On your dresser." I caught as she flew by. I grabbed the miraculous. A royal blue orb emerged slowly.

"At your service, Mademoiselle." The peacock said, but then glitched.

"Duusu!" Trixx squealed. "It's been so long!"

"My m-miraculous i-i-is broken. I c-can't stay f-f-f-for long." He glitched.

"How can we fix it?" I asked.

"A new p-p-pendant. B-but it ne-eds the lun-n-ngana."

"I-I can't-" and he was gone.

Blaise, you want to make a new miraculous?" I yawned.

"You take a nap and I'll find something. Kwamis, to the kitchen and around this manor!" They lined up in a line and flew through the door.

"A cat nap would be _purr_fect." I curled under the covers. "And did I just make a cat pun?" I asked myself as I closed my eyes.


	13. Chapter 12

Someone tapped at my door, but I just stayed where I was. I made something of a nest of blankets and I was curled up in a comfy ball with a blanket between my elbows, knees, and ankles. I just buried deeper into my perfect mess.

"R- whaat are you doing?" Adrien peeked in.

"Sleeping. Goodnight." I squirmed, then started nodding off again.

"You've been sleeping for four hours." He sat next to my nest.

"That looks really comfortable." Adrien sighed.

"Mi casa et tu casa." I squirmed to leave him room. He shrugged, then climbed in with me.

"So warm… lucky I've already changed." He groaned. I've never been in such close quarters with him on purpose before, so I took this for granted. He smelled like fresh air and somewhat masculine. I remembered I needed to meet with Chat Noir.

"What time is it?" I croaked.

"7:45. I brought you dinner." He threw an arm over his eyes.

"There's a top, you know." I reached over me and pulled over a blanket.

"Wow. This is a masterpiece."

"Shh." I shushed him and snuggled up to him. Adrien made this hiccup in the back of his throat, but then relaxed. I fell back asleep.

"Plaqq, claws out!" Adrien whispered. I cracked open my eye to see him transform and then smooth out his suit.

"I hope the flower shop hasn't closed. That would be _cat_astrophic."

He jumped out the window.

"Oh, brother." I stretched. "I'm not the only one doing cat puns."

"Blaise, wake up." I tapped my miraculous. He came out.

"You have a nice time sleeping with your kitty?" He giggled.

"Now, to complete the list and for you to shut up. Blaise, wings unfold."

Halfway through my transformation, I jumped out of the window and slid down the roof. I grabbed my staff and propelled myself over sleeping Paris.

"Well, where am I supposed to be? There are many rooftops in Paris."

I stopped and stared at the Eiffel Tower a little ways off. I loved how it lit up the sky.

"Hello, little dragon." I looked around and Chat Noir was propped up on a ledge above me.

"Hey. You need something?" I sat on the ledge behind me so I could look at him better.

"Well, I wanted to tell you something. It's very important to me." He drummed his claws on the concrete.

"Well, don't hold me suspense. What?" I smiled at him.

"Since the day we've met, I've always been drawn to you."

"Well, you were drawn to Ladybug, too. Remember that." I laid out on the stone and let my wings drape on the floor.

"This is different, I swear. I thought she was the one, but then she wasn't after she was akumatized, and then you came along and swept me off my feet like a winged goddess."

"Ha. Such a coincidence." I flapped my wings weakly. Chat Noir laughed.

"What I'm trying to say is that, I love you. Even though I barely know anything about you, I love you with all my heart."

I almost fell off the ledge. That was unexpected. He wasn't finished. Chat Noir licked his lips nervously.

"There's this stupid rule Ladybug set up where you have to keep your identities a secret. So, since your not Ladybug, I want to show you my _real _self."

"No, you don't need to." I yawned,even though I was panicking inside. "I already know who you are. I know who Ladybug is, too. Not revealing her, though."

Chat Noir stared at me like I was a ghost. "What?"

"Anyway, you don't really love me. I'm an awful human being. The things I've done are selfish and only hurt people." I swung my feet over the ledge and turned my back on him.

"Hey. Who's said that?" He jumped to me. "And don't tell me it was you. It may have only been a few weeks, but I still love you like I've loved you my whole life."

What is his deal with falling for his crime-fighting partners?

"I say it because it's true." I stared at my boots, feeling really sad. Why does it have to be him falling for me?

"Come here." He pulled me onto his shoulder. "Funny how I feel like I've been in this situation. Prying information from you." He laughed. I was silent and started playing with my tail.

"Oh. _Oh. _We do know each other." I could feel his shock.

"Then who are-" I held a fingertip to his lips and wrapped his tail around me.

"Look at the lights, Chat Noir. So pretty." I sighed.

He smiled at me gently. "Yeah. They are." And he started to purr.

"Come here, little akuma." I had to leap into the air to catch it. Kissing it, I waited until it was fully petrified until I put in my pouch.

"You would've thought he would be running out of butterflies after a whole year of this." Chat Noir leaned on his staff as he watched my dragon fixed the mess we created.

I went to the akumatized victim and helped her to her feet. "You were akumatized. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, thank you. I don't know what came over me, acting out like that. Thank you for saving me."

I nodded. "My pleasure."

Nadja and her film crew ran out of her van. Oh, not again. I hate being on TV. Usually, Chat Noir covers for me. But, I'm going to have to answer to her eventually.

"Dragonist. Can you give us an insight on what this attack was?" She shoved a mic in my face.

"Same as usual, Nadja. Same as usual." Chat Noir snuck up behind me and hung his arm over my shoulders. "Nothing we couldn't handle."

Today must have been a slow news day.

"Dragonist, you've always avoided the camera. Can you tell us why you're not today?"

"Um, well, I'm-ah." I stumbled.

"She's more on the introverted side. Not into cameras." He covered for me again. I nudged him to hint that we should be going.

"Well, can you tell your adoring fans a little bit about yourself so you don't kill us all with your mysteriousness."

"Chat…help." I said through my teeth.

"I like… cake." I started slowly.

"You what?" Chat Noir laughed, messing with my hair.

"I don't like people who have selective hearing." I ducked under his hand.

"I'm not very camera friendly." I shot a little finger heart to the camera.

"And I need to go. Peace out!" I pushed off Chat Noir's arm and jumped to the rooftop. I need to get back to school as soon as possible. I've always balanced out my school and superhero life easily. So far, I don't skip enough school for it to be a problem.

I slipped into the bathroom window and Blaise tumbled out of my miraculous.

"You like cake, and _Chat Noir_! Why was there no Chat Noir?" He teased me.

"Ah. I don't actually have that much of a partaking to cake. It's good, but not that good. Anyway, saying that I liked Chat Noir would cause the world to explode. And I need to get back to sixth period. It's been thirty minutes, and Miss Bustier should be going to the bathroom by the time I get to class."

I sprinted out of the bathroom and under the stairs. Sure enough, the door opened and she came out, her heels striking daggers into my heart. When they faded, I took my chance and ran into the classroom.

Sprinting up the steps, I slid into my seat. From down below, Marinette waved to me, grinning really big. I waved back, then pulled out my work I got off of the school website and filled in the notes.

"Okay class, let's continue with the math. Nino, can you help us solve for c?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Adrien cracked open the door, then sneaked in while the teacher was watching Nino work.

"Why, hello, Adrien." She turned around as he was sliding in the seat.

"This is the second time this week. Can you explain your absences?"

"No, ma'am. I can't."

"Maybe Ren needs to help you keep a tighter schedule."

She beamed at me like I was there the whole time, then turned back to the board.

"I don't understand. I'm getting nailed now for almost making it to my seat." He grumbled.

"Hey, lighten up. You didn't get in any real trouble." I nudged him. Adrien gave me a half smile and nudged me back.

"Here. Notes." I handed him my notes so he could copy them off. He really needs to get better at balancing his two lives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ren! Adrien! Over here!" Alya called us after school.

"Hey. What's up?" I ran up to her and Marinette.

"You guys want to head over to Nino's house for a sleepover? He invited us all over." Marinette explained. I looked at Adrien. His father has a weird thing with sleepovers. I have to be there in order for him to go, which is really irrational.

"You want to go, Ren?" Adrien nudged me.

"No reason not to. I have nothing else to do." I shrugged.

"Great! See you at 6, girl." Alya beamed.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." I smiled.

Marinette fell in step with me as I started heading to the car. "Why does he always ask you before doing anything? It's really weird." She gave me a curious look.

"I honestly don't know. Something like an agreement with him and his dad." I tried to shrug off the question.

"Well, when are you going to do it?" She teased.

"Do what?"

"Tell him that you like him." She whispered in my ear since he was next to me.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "One day." I laughed. Adrien looked at me from the corner of his eye and blushed. This kid and blushing.

Marinette opened the door for me. "See you guys at 6." She shut the door.

"I'm glad everything is almost back to normal. Maybe Marinette getting akumatized was a good thing." His face fell. "Even though I can't look at her the same way."

"Hey, she's almost back to normal. Dragonist did a good job on fixing her."

"But she's still not the same." He looked so depressed that I gave him a side hug. He put his head on my shoulder, resting his hand on my knee.

"It's easier for you since you didn't know her before this mess. She was funnier and less cautious, and I don't know where her art talent went. I just feel bad for her because Marinette's not whole and she doesn't even know."

He sighed and it actually hurt my heart. "I always said she was just a friend, but I realized that I always thought more of her. Now, I look at her and I feel nothing, which is a little sad."

I saw his eyes, and they lightened up. "But, then there's the girl I like now. Dragonist."

Oh, he's starting off about me again. Nino's told me a thousand times that he's even more obsessed than he ever was about Ladybug, like that was possible.

"You up for a study hall?" He asked. I nodded, knowing full well that he only wanted me to help him. My homework notes are done in Hangul, then I translate that to French for him.

"Okay. So, math. Quadratic function. I missed a lot." He laid out his math stuff on his floor. Luckily, I learned this last year.

"Well, do you know the formula?"

"f(x) = ax2 + bx + c." He recited.

"Then, you know that-"

"Help!" There was the screech of tires and a horrendous crash. We jumped to our feet.

"What was that?"

The window burst open, and glass sprayed across the room. I covered my face so only my arms got cut. In the ruins was the silhouette of a boy.

"Why, hello my fair Ren." He laughed. "Such a coincidence we appear here together." He grabbed the brim of his top hat.

"Let's dance, shall we?" He grabbed my waist and I felt myself get launched into the air. I clung on, knowing full well that there was no way that I could escape this now.


	14. Chapter 13

We landed on the rooftop, and I pushed away from him.

"Stop. This isn't right. I don't even know who you are." I backed up against the chimney.

"Ah, let me introduce myself. I am Medusis, the love of your life." His eyes with his raven black hair when he took off his hat and bowed.

"Well, Medusis. I have a theory that you're akumatized." I gripped the stone. Should I change here? Maybe he's not actually akumatized just by chance.

"Hawkmoth has just given me some abilities to waver you into my favor." He grabbed my hips and pressed me against the stone. I stared down at my hands, gritting my teeth

"And, haven't I won?" He whispered.

I can't transform. I am Medusis's goal, even though I have no idea who this person is. Oh, I hope Chat Noir can find me. He did see me leave, hopefully.

"All you need to do is look into my eyes."

The pieces clicked together. I get it now. He's supposed to control me with his eyes. But, his voice was so tempting.

"Come on, you know you want to see who truly loves you. Not this Agreste child." He slipped his hand under my chin and tilted my face up. I closed my eyes, and I could feel his breath on my face.

"I always thought you had the most beautiful angelic body. Everything from your eyes to your legs."

I could hear the giddiness in his voice.

"To be with me, all you need to do is open your eyes. You can be with me forever."

My eyes fluttered, and I fought down the temptation.

"Oh, luv. Chat Noir must have blinded you. I'll find him for you. I'll show you he's just a fraud. Then, you'll love me."

He kissed my cheek, and his warm body left me. I sank to the ground, dazed.

"Ah, you must stay, though. If only I could trust you to stay at my side, but Chat Noir has hypnotized you… how about… this snake here. Hold still, luv. I promise he won't hurt you as long as you stay still. Unless, you want to look into my eyes."

Wait, a SNAKE? I felt his hands, gloves soft as a butterfly's wings, brush my biceps, then across my chest. A smooth coil followed where he touched me. Then, he disappeared around the chimney.

When he came back to me, he pressed his hips to mine and kissed my forehead.

"I'll be back, luv. With me, will be my copycat." And he left. I waited about five minutes until I was sure he was gone and then opened my eyes. Around me was a big black snake. In the corner of my eye, I saw the head. I didn't know if the eyes here were hypnotic, so I didn't take the risk. Blaise wiggled out of my pocket.

"Ah, this is one situation that shall truly stick with you." He giggled.

"I need to get to my sleepover at six and still have my virginity by the end of the day." I rolled my eyes. "So, how am I going to do that? If I leave, I think he would know."

"Let him come. Call him back, maybe. He might get Chat Noir, and then we truly are his prey and you will be slee-"

"I get it. Thanks for the visual. Maybe, Chat Noir didn't see. I could wait until Medusis misses him."

Below me, the screams began.

"Yeah, no. I need to help them." I wiggled, but the snake slithered tighter and slid up to my neck.

"I love you, my luv. I will kiss you speechless, warm you at night, make you just as happy as you make me. All you need is to look into my eyes." The snake whispered in Medusis's voice.

Oh, this was so _creepy!_ I've never had a victim that targeted me as Ren. Dragonist: three times. Chat Noir: once. But not me personally.

"Blaise, I'm being harassed by a snake. A _snake._" I gritted my teeth.

"Here, I got this. Don't make me do this again, please, because then I'm eating the dust for a week. Talons!"

He touched the snake and it and the chimney went to blue particles and started trailing back to him. He sneezed, staring sadly at the dust.

"Blaise, wings unfold."

I stepped out of the particles, then dashed to the place where I heard the screams.

I picked through the destruction of cars, but no people.

"Ah, little Draco. So nice of you to show up." Chat Noir jumped next to me and fell in step. "You won't believe how happy I am that you're here. Medusis showed up and released snakes in the city. They would lock eyes with them, and then the people would be under his control. It was awful. He pulled his army to the Eiffel Tower. He's going to make them all jump if we don't show up-"

"And give him our miraculous. Yeah, yeah. One trick pony, I get it. Ren told me that his goal is her and that the akuma might be in his top hat."

"Wait, where is she. Is she safe?"

I gave him a confused look. "I brought her to Agreste Manor, why?"

"Because we- uh- we … might need to use her in the future. To capture his akuma." Chat Noir tried to cover up.

"Yeah. Good call." I went along with his lie.

"Now, to the Eiffel Tower." I launched forward with my staff.

I landed in front of the Eiffel Tower as Medusis finished up his miraculous speech.

"Chat Noir, I have a basic plan. He wants Ren, I'll tease him with the fact I have her whereabouts. You need to blind him. Maybe with a cloth or a sheet. Take his top hat and then just rip it. I'll chase the akuma down while you make sure no one is injured. I'm guessing that if you just keep him blinded, he can't communicate with his minions."

"How do you know this?"

"Ren and I put two and two together and we came up with that theory." My head twitched slightly to the the right.

"Haven't I mentioned that your purrfect in every way?" He cooed, twisting my tail in his hands.

"Please focus, Chat. This involves innocent lives." I put him down nicely.

"I purrfectly understand. We'll continue this on the rooftops tomorrow night." He beamed. I still can't understand how he can so smoothly put in these meetings. Even a year later, it still astounds me how clever he can be.

We shot to the sky and into the Eiffel Tower.

"Ah, Dragonist. You're here. I can sense you, luv."

"Luv. That's not too bad." Chat Noir mused quietly.

"You caught me." I jumped down and out of the shadows.

"Oh, you're actually here. I was just practicing." He turned around on his heel so his back was to me.

"And, I guess you're not here to hand me your miracul- oh. I smell something." He strode to me, and I looked behind me as I took steps backwards.

"Why, this is new." I hit the metal, and I shrank away from Medusis, looking at his neck instead of his face.

"You didn't tell me you were Dragonist, luv."

"Medusis, I'm sorry, but you need to stop terrorizing all these people. This is only between you and me, not the innocents." My breathing became labored from another attack coming on.

Over the past year, I've learned to just touch Chat Noir and the pain would go away. He's gotten used to me putting my hand on his shoulder or wrapping his tail around my hand when they do come to me on the field.

He turned his head and looked at the people in lines on the platform.

"All but five of you will go. Keep a two step distance from the edge." He snapped at them.

I almost cried out in relief. Five people are easier to catch than twenty five.

"Luv, we're not done." He grabbed my biceps this time and slid his hand up and down them. Medusis shivered, then pressed me against the metal.

"Ah, Ren. Why don't you just look into my eyes?" We haven't even gotten close to the amount of love I can spend on you." He murmured. My face was on fire.

"What about _Chat Noir_?" I stressed his name.

"He can wait for a moment, luv." Medusis buried his face into my neck, and I took that time to look around for him. I saw a flash of black, and Chat Noir was hiding in a curve of steel, a black scarf in his hands. He nodded, and I rested my hands on Medusis's neck. He slowly lifted his head,and I closed my eyes.

"Come on, luv. You know you want to. Just take a peek." He rested his forehead on mine.

In a swift movement, I pushed him away from me. He grabbed my wrist, and Medusis was off balance. Chat Noir came and put the scarf around his eyes, tied it, and plucked the hat off his head. He ripped it, but no akuma came out. Oops. That wasn't it.

"Oh, copycat. Were you looking for this?" He pulled out a beautiful black hair clip.

"This was supposed to be for my true love, but Chloé said I didn't have the guts. That I was nothing. That my love had already pledged herself to Agreste. Now, I have her and her friends standing on the brink of death." He laughed.

"Luv, I see that he still has you under his control. We'll see who prevails. Serpents, arise!"

Black tendrils of smoke drifted from his hands and then solidified into snakes.

"Talons!" I called, and the snakes attacked me.

"No, you imbeciles! The cat! Don't hurt her!"

The snakes faltered, and, with one continuous touch with my hand, they were trailing back to my fingers in blue particles.

"Chat! Up to you!" I shouted, snapping my whip into play.

I realized that Chat Noir only needed a second of distraction in order to get the akuma. I need to save the innocents on the edge, and that causes for me to sacrifice myself.

"Come, snakes. It's up to-"

I slashed the tendrils of smoke and ran up to him.

"Medusis! Medusis, I'm here." I grabbed his hands. "Show me. Show me your love." I mumbled.

Looking back, Chat Noir was stunned. I winked at him and mouthed, "Sorry."

"Luv, are you sure?" He was double checking I was still being rash and insane.

"Yes." I slowly took off the blindfold as I closed my eyes. He grabbed my face and tilted my chin up.

"Luv, open your eyes and fall into me." He whispered. I slowly opened my eyes and my gaze was met with his light blue eyes. I started to feel myself fall into them, but I couldn't break the contact.

"Why don't you just let me take control of you?" He asked.

"Medusis…" I started, but then I started to fall forward onto him. Then, I completely blanked out for a second. Then, Chat Noir was shaking me.

"Quick, I caught the akuma." He said urgently.

"Yeah. Give it to me." I shook the cobwebs away, and I had a huge headache. I didn't say anything, though. I didn't want that to tie to my possible identity of being Dragonist. Alya would bug me about it for weeks.

He dumped it into my hands, and I gave it a quick kiss, then released my dragon. Everyone was returned to where they were before this whole mess started.

"Here. That was rough." He helped me stand up.

"I can't remember anything after opening my eyes. Did I-"

"No. He just kind of stood there, mesmerized by you. It was easy to grab the clip and catalyst it. But, he put up a fight trying to get his akuma back."

He started to pat me down.

"What are you doing?" I rolled my eyes.

"Making sure your whole." He gave me a bear hug. "Don't ever put yourself at your enemy's feet like that again, okay?" He said into my hair. He looked over me.

"And now, for this creep." He spat.

"That's not nice. Even worse, he's unconscious. I think I'll hand him of to Ren. She said something about a sleepover at 6, but I hope he wouldn't cause her any trouble."

"Ren, get out of there. You're running out of time." Blaise warned.

"I'll see you later." I picked up Medusis and released my whip.

"Blaise, wings veiled." He appeared on my shoulder, still in an aura of blue from using Talons. "Come on, Tikki. You want to see Adrien's competition."

"Take that back right now." I shouted at him.

"Never." He stuck his tongue out at me, dust coating my hair.

I carefully put him on my couch, sitting next to his head.

"Ren, you have a bruise on your neck." Tikki touched my neck, making it throb.

"Wow. Medusis really was a gentleman." Blaise snickered. "I'll fix it, unless you don't w-"

"Of course I want you to fix it. Can you also get him out of his coma?" I growled, covering my neck.

"Woah, grumpy pants." He exaggerated. Blaise came over and started licking my neck. I noticed how his blue aura dimmed down a little.

"And now for the creep." He sighed, but began to lick the boy's forehead.

I pulled out my duffel bag and started packing to head over to Nino's house.

"You're actually going? Ren, you look sick." Tikki put a hand to my forehead.

"And you're burning up."

"Tikki, I have to go. Even though my head feels like it's getting split open with a hammer and I'm about to throw up, I'm going." I stuffed my clothes into the bag, and then my sleeping bag. From the bathroom, I grabbed my bag of toiletries and zipped up the bag, collapsing on the couch again.

"Blaise, he's still not awake." I opened one of his eyes. They"re still a beautiful blue, but he's not responding.

"Give him one second. Here he comes." Blaise gabbed Tikki and both of them disappeared.

The boy's eyes fluttered, and then he opened his eyes. I've seen him before. His name is Tris. He's two grades above me, and he happens to be in my art class.

"Ren. What are- are you doing in m-my-"

"Tris, you got akumatized into a hypnotist. Afterwards, you passed out. Are you feeling okay?"

"Ren, why am I h-here and not a-at hom-me?" His voice broke.

"Dragonist needed to go. And she thought that, maybe, you needed to talk to me."

He flopped back down on the couch.

"Hey, I'm not going to bite. You can talk to me." I leaned on the table.

"Ren, you don't under- understand. I-I can't."

He really can't. In art, he talks so fluently, but he always stutters and changes his thoughts mid sentence around me. I always thought he was scared of me, but really he liked me.

"Okay. Then, you need to go. If I get caught with you here, I could get in really big trouble."

"No, please stay." Tris said clearly, catching my arm. He pulled back like it was fire.

"Fine. I will." I sat back on the table.

"I- always wanted to-to talk bu-but then I begin t-to st-tudder." He forced out.

"What would make it easier? I want to make it easier, Tris." I said softly.

"Just s-s-sit her-re and j-just l-look a-away." He asked. I sat next to him and looked away.

"I've always been someone who's never interested in girls. I loved my art and music, and nothing else." He started softly.

"Then, you came. The way you are, the way you treat people… it makes them feel like they're worth something. That everything about them was perfect and you love them. I needed something like that. It woke me up. After that, I went crazy trying to be with you. As a friend, or as my only. I still am. Trying to find any way to be even next to you."

He paused.

"Then, Chloé found out. She told me that you were only nice because you wanted attention. That you didn't even know me. She said that you and Agreste have been dating, and that I should give up."

My door cracked open, and I could see Adrien staring at Tris. I looked back to my wall.

"It broke me. At home, I guess I was-"

I turned back to Tris and wrapped my arms around him. He gasped, then slowly brought his hands to my back. I pulled away before it got too personal.

"I didn't know. I didn't know I had that affect of people. Tris, if you want to hang out, I would. Even through your stutter, I would've said yes. Come on. You need to get home."

I grabbed his hand and we stood up. "Maybe we can work through your stutter if you want. Your apartment's across from Nino's right?"

"Y-yeah." I grabbed my duffel as we passed by.

"Hey, Ren. We really need to get- oh. Hey, Tris." Adrien smiled at him.

"Hey, bro. What's shakin'?" They did a short handshake and Adrien followed on my other side.

"What's he doing here?" Adrien whispered.

"Dragonist dropped him off. Long story I'll tell later." I muttered, then turned my attention back to Tris.

"So, you said you liked art? What kind?" I asked innocently.

"All kinds. From pottery down to graffiti. You're really good at oils and watercolor." He blushed.

"Thanks. I used to practice back home."

"Really? With who?"

We talked until he stopped in front of his apartment.

"This is it. See you later, Ren." He held his hand up, then left. Adrien, who has been silent the whole walk, grabbed my wrist and dragged me across the street.

"Thank God he's gone." He growled.

"Adrien, stop. You need to chill." I fell in step with him to not fall flat on my face.

"Ren, please think. Tris is known to snub girls and play with them like they're toys. He might actually hurt you." He steered me up the stairs.

"He seems innocent now, but I know for a fact that he is a roller coaster you can't go on." Adrien buzzed Nino's door. Alya opened the door immediately and threw herself on top of me, bringing us stumbling into the living room.

"Oh my God, Ren!" Marinette piled on top.

"Girl, you just got kidnapped. Why are you here?" Alya half me at arms length. I was grinning like a fool.

"I wasn't going to miss this over that. I told you I wouldn't miss it for the world.

"Ren, you look sick. And you're burning up." Marinette put a cool hand over my forehead.

"And, by the news footage, Dragonist had a hard time seducing Medusis. He kept harassing her." Nino must've entered the conversation at one point.

"Just take it easy, Ren."

"Guys, I'm fine. I swear." I laughed.

"If you insist…" Marinette trailed off. "Then, let's go upstairs! Nino set up his movie room for us." She grabbed my wrist and we went upstairs.


	15. Chapter 14

I shot up from my sleeping bag. Nightmare. I just couldn't remember exactly what it was. Something about Gabriel Agreste being Hawkmoth. Yeah, I found out a few months ago. It's been tormenting me for a while, but Tris has made it worse.

I tiptoed through the unidentifiable sleeping bodies and into the bathroom. I turned in the faucet, rubbing the cool water on my face. I faced the mirror, looking at my nails. Nino had a shot at it, and they actually turned out really well. I looked at the mirror, and I saw something flit in my peripheral vision.

Oh, please don't tell me there's another akuma. That would be three today. I gripped my bracelet, I looked in the mirror, waiting for it to appear. I didn't see it, so I focused on the water dripping from the sink, my stomach churning.

This city is so messed up. You shouldn't torment people in a way that they're scared of you and of themselves. Who wants to be afraid of being sad? Luckily, we're not in Korea. The amount of akumas a day would drive Chat Noir and me insane.

Bile rose in my throat and I choked it down. Maybe I really am sick. I really shouldn't have come. At home, I could have had Blaise help me. Here, it's too risky. In the mirror, someone leaned on the door frame.

"You okay?" Adrien asked, his brow furrowed.

I nodded, taking a deep breath. "Nightmare." I explained. "You?"

He shook his head slightly. "Just thinking about today. Can't clear my head."

He started talking, but my vision started shrinking. I felt like I was falling, so I had to take a few steps. Medusis or Tris must've done something to me. I think… I think I've been… poisoned.

"Ren?" Adrien asked from far far away. Why did he go so far? Maybe I looked like a monster. Maybe the monster inside me has come out.

"Ad-" my tongue stopped working and I hit the ground. Then, I couldn't see anything.

Something beeped next to my ear. It came in slow pulses, then started to speed up a little. Everything smelled like rubbing alcohol. I started up, bright white light tore at my eyes.

"Ren!" My ears were on overdrive.

"Shhh!" I hissed, covering my ears.

"You're out! Marinette, she's awake!" I could see an Alya outline next to me, shaking a Marinette outline.

"Are you guys okay?" I croaked.

"That's the first question you ask. If we're okay." Alya snorted. "Girl, you've been in a coma for two weeks, and you're worried about us."

"Two weeks… how many akuma attacks have there been?" I panicked.

"Well, one." Marinette squirmed in her seat. "And it's… Chat Noir. Chat Blanc, now. He- he took Adrien. That night, I saw him and he took someone. You were in your room- I guess you were trying to get back- and you almost died. You slipped into a coma, and here we are."

"Chat Noir has been _akumatized_." I groaned, slamming against the pillows. "Has anything bad happen?"

"It's only a matter of time before the Ladybug is found again. Dragonist has gone into hiding, which was really smart." Alya added. "He travels by night and-"

There was the click clacking of heels.

"Pretend to be asleep. It's safer here." I closed my eyes, matching my breathing to the beeps.

"Is everything okay here? Her breathing got faster." I heard a nurse ask.

"Nothing's wrong. We thought that she was going to wake up, too." Alya lied. "We need to get going, anyway. Come on, M. We've got a project due tomorrow. We'll be back tomorrow." I heard them get up and leave.

The nurse sighed. "I don't know why you're still in a coma. The toxins have already been drained out of your system." She huffed. "It's hot. Maybe, opening the window would help."

There was a screech and warm air flowed over me.

"Fine. Stay where you are. But, from what your friends have told me, a boy really needs you. Really needs _you_." She left, and I opened my eyes. Adrien needs me. That's the only rational I could see.

"Blaise, you here?" Before his ball could shimmer into something different, I jumped out the window while transforming. I shot by the recording studio and swooped in front of Nadja Shmock, the news reporter. I had no doubts that she would follow me.

I landed on the Eiffel Tower, where Nadja already had her camera crew.

"Chat Blanc. I have come out of hiding to reach a proposal. Seo-Hyeong has agreed to sacrifice herself with the ladybug miraculous if you handed over the whereabouts of Hawkmoth." I said without thinking. "That meeting we were supposed to have?Same time and place. Failure to appear will cause a hunt." I looked around, wishing he was actually here. "And that would not be pleasant."

I nodded, and then moved to Agreste Manor..

"Ren, you literally just got out of the hospital. Now, you're going to go fight Chat Blanc. And, dare I mention, your curse has gotten much worse." Blaise spun out of my bracelet.

"Maybe you need a sidekick. You could give me back to Marinette." Tikki joined to conversation.

"Mari- could she remember that she's Ladybug?" I asked, directing the question at Blaise.

"No. She was completely rebuilt. But, you're not actually considering-"

"I'm going to let her be Ladybug just this once. I don't know what would happen if I screw this up."

My foot slipped on the smooth marble roof. Whoever lived here was rich.

"Woah, this is cool!" Marinette whispered, swinging next to me on her yo yo.

"Shh. He might be here already." I hissed, but I was smiling on the inside. We should do this more often.

I touched down on the roof, Marinette behind me.

"I don't see him. Are. You sure-"

"Ah, my little Draco. You brought a friend." Chat Blanc leaned against the wall, swinging his tail.

"Chat Noir-" I tried using his real name.

"Try again, sweetheart. It's Chat Blanc, now." He peered down at his claws.

"And it's time for you to meet my little friend destiny. Cataclysm!" White particles danced from both hands.

"Don't let him touch you!" I shouted to Marinette.

"Got it! Watch out!" She shoved me out of the way of one of Chat Noir's claws, grazing a pole. It turned silver and broke down, swirling to Chat Blanc. He deeply inhaled, and he absorbed the particles, a white aroma around him.

"Don't be too scared. Only need enough to fix the damage done for- for her." He looked a little sad, then that contorted into a face of rage. "But, I need _you._" I dodged out of the way, then unfurled my whip.

"Ladybug, you have anything?" I begged. She was good at thinking on her feet. Right now, I was a little bit disoriented.

"One sec-" Chat Blanc charged, and I was locked into combat.

"Please hurry up that one second." I stressed, dodging a near punch to my face.

I staggered against the wall. Chat Blanc shot his hand out, and I deflected it with my whip. Sadly, it too disappeared into his aura, making it almost blinding. Well, so much for that.

"Lucky charm!" and Marinette was left with a pair of gardening gloves.

"Well, luv. This is it. Thank you for your brave sacrifice to save a life." He raised his hand to me.

"Stop!" Marinette jumped in front of me, and disappeared into particles.

"No!" I shouted, her gardening gloves dropping to the ground. What was I supposed to do with these? The akuma in his ring, and I can't touch his hand unless… but that would reveal his identity, which would cause us all problems.

"Ladybug's Miraculous! It's gone!" He howled. With that, he turned on me.

"This is all your fault! She was a sacrifice for nothing!" He tried to grab at me, but I slipped on the glove as it came at my stomach.

"What?" He looked at his hand in confusion. Then, he lunged with his other hand. I slipped on a glove there, but let his hand slide out.

"Too late. Looks like your plan is ruined." The glove dissolved, leaving me with a white ring.

"Really?" I rolled the ring over my knuckles. "Talons." The ring dissolved, and the akuma was left in my hands. I gave it its last kiss, then threw my dragon into the sky.

Ladybug sat at my feet, still in full costume.

"Oh my God, Dragonist. I thought he killed me." She threw herself into my arms.

"Go home. I'll pick up the earrings after I deal with Chat. Don't do anything rash, please."

She nodded, and flew away.

"Now, for Adrien." I sighed as the dragon wiggled back into my hand, replacing the ring.

Adrien was lying on the ground, slowly waking up. I slipped the ring onto his finger.

"Plaqq, claws out." I told the quami as he spun out of the ring.

"But- whahh!" He was sucked back into the ring, and Adrien became the familiar Chat Noir.

"Ow." Chat Noir rubbed his head. He looked at me, then scrambled back.

"What happened? Why am I here? Are-"

"Chat, you were akumatized." I leaned back on my haunches.

"No. That- that's impossible." He stammered, wracking his hand through his hair.

"What was the last thing you could remember?" I whispered, dreading the answer.

"My best friend-well, I think she is, almost died and- oh." He faltered.

"It landed in my ring. He told me to take them. I tried to fight it, but he overpowered me. Then, I wanted enough energy to shake her out of it." He gripped his head.

I stared at him. "You actually remember." I breathed, and started pacing.

"But if the akuma was in my ring" Chat Noir stood up, too. "Then you had to destroy it, which involves taking it off." He grabbed my elbow."You really do know who I am now."

I turned to him.

"Chat, I'm sorry. It was one or the other." I tried to escape his touch.

"Dragonist, it's been a year. One whole year exactly today, did you know that?"

I shook my head, looking sideways at the rising moon.

"You know and I don't. That's something I can never forget. It's going to a wedge between us, and you know it. I learned that the hard way."

I looked at the ground, speechless. He's right. If anything, now would be perfect.

"Honestly, my mind's been made. It only matters if you're on board." He took a deep breath. "Plaqq, claws in."

I heard him take in another rattling breath.

"Now, it's your turn. Please."

"Chat-"

"I won't look until you tell me to."

...

"Blaise, wings veiled."

I felt myself change to my real self, leaving me cold.

"We look on three." I ordered.

"One" my voice broke.

"Two." He shuddered, grabbing my hands.

"Three." We both said, and I looked up.

"R-Ren." Adrien stared at me, shocked. "You're awake. You're Dragonist. But, you're _alive_." I could tell that all of his thoughts were running together.

"Not what you expected, I guess." I looked over my shoulder.

"You just got out of a _coma _and you took me down almost single handedly. How could I guess that?" He turned my face back to him. "Anyway, I couldn't be any happier that it's you." He looked deep into my eyes. Adrien tilted his head and made a move to me. I leaned to him, then faltered. Slowly, he pressed his lips to mine.

The feeling in my chest that I had gotten so used to was gone. I felt it just cave in on itself and disappear. I pulled away from him, taking a rattling breath.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked softly, pressing his forehead to mine.

"No. Not in a million years." I smiled softly as Adrien leaned in again.


	16. Chapter 15

I turned over, half asleep. My face pressed against something solid.

"Draco? You up?" Adrien asked sleepily, brushing his hands through my hair. I nodded my head slowly as Adrien buried his face in my hair.

"Come on, sleepyhead. My father wants you at my photoshoot again." He nudged my leg with his toe.

"Models work too hard." I groaned as I rolled away. "You have a lot of pictures for a sixteen year old boy."

I stumbled out of bed, my hair flying into my face.

"Ren, you look drunk" Adrien laughed.

"Well, you haven't seen me in the morning before half asleep." I stretched, then crossed to the door.

"I'll see you in ten minutes, m'kay?" I went back to my room. As I got dressed, Blaise and Tikki came out.

"Why did you tell Adrien-Chat Noir- who you were? That was supposed to be a secret!" Tikki whined.

"Oh, shut up. This was meant to be. I saw this written in the stars." Blaise coutered. "Anyways, it's too late to reverse it. Heck, that's how Ladybug and Chat Noir fell apart. That and the akuma."

Tikki just shook her head. "Ren… I'm just going to drop this. On a different note, you're supposed to meet up with Tris in the park soon. Shouldn't you be going?"

"Shoot! I forgot! God, last night really screwed me up. We really need to go." Tikki and Blaise flew into my shirt as I grabbed my notebook and ran out of the room.

"Shouldn't you tell Adrien?" Blaise whispered

"Nah. He'll be fine." I pushed it aside as I started sprinting to the park. When I got there, I couldn't find Tris.

"Ha! He's gone." Blaise snickered. "Now would be a fantastic time for someone to be akumatized."

On que, people began to scream.

"Time to see what you truly fear!" A girl screamed, waving a staff above her head. In the corner of my eye, Tris came charging from the side.

"Ren, move!" He howled, knocking me to the ground. There was a flash of light, and he landed in front of me. But, it wasn't Tris. It was a Timberwolf. I scrambled back, almost under a bench. Getting to my feet, I ran as fast as I could in the direction with the least amount of people.

"Wow. Can't I get a time out button? We've been doing this for a year." Blaise groaned, flying out of my pocket.

"Stop complaining. Tris just got transformed into a Timberwolf. Blaise, wings unfold." I swung up onto the rooftops, scanning for Chat Noir.

"Dragonist! I will have your miraculous!" The girl shouted, twisting her staff in her hands.

"Once again, for the millionth time, we do not have a miraculous. We have a mathews, not a miraculous." Blaise huffed.

"Are you in a bad mood or something?"

"I don't want to talk about- you might want to watch out for the flying disk." A UFO almost took my head off.

Everything was in chaos. People were running from multiple creatures and things. All of them were crying for help.

"Focus, Ren. Where is the bad guy?" Blaise must've forced himself out of his bad mood in order not to get me killed.

"Well, the akuma could be hiding in six places… but the most sensible one would be in the staff."

"But that's already happened. God, this thing as already happened before! This is a waste of my Friday." Clearly, he failed. "Let's be honest here. Why would a girl be carrying a staff?"

Dodging a tyrannosaurus, I took refuge at the roof of City Hall. I watched her, and I realized how she trailed the staff on the ground, leaving a white mark behind her.

"Maybe… maybe it's not a staff. Maybe it's chalk.

"Chalk? Why chalk?"

"Well, Adrien was missing the first half of school for a photoshoot, so I was missing the first half-"

"So you don't know. What's with the long story? I know that you're inseparable."

I was shocked. Blaise always had a good attitude for the most part.

"Sorry. She could've been the new studies to Bustier could have been talking about."

What would have happened that would cause this? I fashioned a story. Someone pulled a prank, like putting spiders in the desk or something, and the substitute was humiliated. Akuma came and BAM. We got ourselves a victim.

"Draco! I thought she got you." Chat Noir appears behind me. I told him my theory. He nodded his head slowly.

"This was the wrong day to miss school. I could've prevented this."

I put my hand on his shoulder. He rubbed his cheek against it. The building pressure from my chest dissolved.

"None of this is your fault. What matters now is that we help now."

He nodded and I pulled my hand back.

"So, what's the plan?" We started moving closer to the target.

"She's drawing lines for a reason. For now, we get the civilians out of the way and slow her down until we find out."

The woman whipped around as I finished my plan.

"Ah. Nice of you to drop in." She cackled, shooting a ball of white light in my direction.

Dodging out of the way, Chat Noir attacked. He collided, staff on staff, with the enemy.

I stood my ground. Then, I noticed how the woman would draw short little lines on the ground. If all the lines were attached, they would almost make a circle.

"Chat Noir! Get out of there!" I dove into battle, trying to move the battle out of the circle.

"You're a brave girl. I wonder what you're afraid of." She hissed.

I tried not to think about it. Focus on the task at hand.

She backed away, and dread stabbed itself in my gut. She's going to finish off the circle, and something bad was going to happen.

Everything then switched to slow motion. She drew the last line of the circle, and Chat was behind me. A white light went in his direction, and I did the only thing I could do to stop it.

I threw myself in front of Chat Noir, and I fell to the ground in a ton of pain. From the distance, I saw the silhouette of a boy. Oh no.

"Dragonist!" Chat was standing over me in a protective way.

"What did you do?" He growled.

"Chat- Chat, get the staff." I coughed, the pain in my chest so awful it was hard to talk. He ran full force into a barrier.

"Chat Noir. Dragonist. I have trapped you in an unbreakable bubble. Dragonist here seems to be in a ton of pain, and her fear seems to be coming at an agonizing pace. You can stop this misery now and hand over your miraculouses or fight your fear in a confined area with no way out." The woman leaned on her staff. She waited a second then, stood up.

"Fine-"

"Wait!" Chat held out his hand, then grabbed his ring. "Here. But, you have to let us out."

"Chat, no!" I rasped, my throat dry.

"We can go down together."

I rapped the ground, and he understood.

"Well, hand it over." The woman held her hand out.

"Change of plans. Sorry to disappoint. Cataclysm!"

He slammed his hand right next to my head and wrapped his body around me as we fell into the subway station.

"No!" The woman yelled from the top. It caved in as she had drawn the circle. There was no way she could get in from the hole we created.

"You will feel the wrath of Fearium!" And she was gone.

"Ren! Ren, talk to me."

My mouth felt like sandpaper, so I grabbed his hand. There was no way touching him was going to fix this.

"I'll get you someplace where we have more time." His ring beeped a warning that he'll transform back soon. He picked me up with ease and started running.

"Ren! Are you okay?" Blaise spiraled out of my bracelet, letting me take on the fatigue of my powers.

"She got hit." Chat said grimly.

"And this is her fear. If so, then she doesn't have much time."

"What's wrong?" Adrien turned back to himself and I saw Agreste Manor in pain dotted vision.

"She's dying."


	17. Chapter 16

"Ren, Ren, stay with me."

Adrien put me on the floor at the entrance of Agreste Manor.

"I'm- I'm fine, honestly." I lied. Glancing at my fingertips, they have started to turn blue.

"Blaise- Blaise, it's happening." I choked out, still staring.

"What? Ren, talk to me." Adrien grabbed my hand, and I hissed in pain. He looked down, realizing what he did.

"Oh my God. Where's Blaise?"

I looked to my other side and the little dragon was on the ground, barely breathing. This really is my worst nightmare. Medusis will show up with Hawkmoth and I would die. Everything is falling into place.

"Ren, What kind of nightmare is this?"

"It's one- where- where everything falls to pieces." I started crying.

"Ren, I'm not going anywhere. You need to fight this-"

"Adrien, you're going to die. Hawkmoth is going to kill you, and you'll be crushed. And then Medusis-"

"Don't you dare be afraid of Tris. I can't believe you haven't seen his true nature yet, but you won't be afraid of him." Adrien snarled.

I swallowed the rest of my words.

"Adrien, we die. Every. Single-"

"Not this time." And he kissed me. I felt the passion and the undying love he had for me. The pain in my chest faltered, letting me take a breath.

"You can manipulate the nightmare. You're Dragonist. You can think of something." Adrien wiped the tears off my face. An idea popped into my head.

"This is the only way." I told myself. In every outcome, Adrien and I had died because of me being helpless. Well, maybe I need to embrace that.

I lifted up my bracelet, struggling to get the ladybug earrings off it.

"I need you to give these to Marinette. I'm not going to make it." It was getting harder to speak.

"No. No, don't give up on me, Ren-"

"Adrien, trust me when I say everything's going to be okay. Marinette will take my place, and she'll fix this."

I could feel the curse starting to tear my insides apart.

"No one can take your place." Adrien didn't know that I was falling apart.

"Adrien-"

"No. I won't lose you. I _can't_ lose you."

"I love you, remember that." I shoved the ladybug miraculous into his hand, and I looked to Blaise. I gave up. I'm not going to do this. But, I know Marinette can.

The nerves in my body were burning up and then I couldn't feel anything. If this is dying, then it's not as bad as I thought.

"No. Ren, don't give up."

He must've felt that I already had.

A single tear leaked from my eye. I couldn't move. A speck of blue dust floated past my face. I must be dissolving.

Blaise looked into me with his beautiful blue eyes.

"See you on the other side, SH." He said with a sad smile, And he crumbled into blue dust. The wind picked him up and out through the window. He is free.

I shouldn't mourn for my lungana now. I'm about to join him.

"I love you." I whispered, clutching Adrien's hand.

"I love you, too."

I closed my eyes as the curse took me away.

And I was gone.


	18. Chapter 17

My eyes opened, and I gasped for breath. What happened? Did Marinette fix everything?

"Ren!" Adrien tackled me back into the pillows. Wait.

"Adrien! Oh my God, Adrien." I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I'm so glad it worked. I thought I really messed up-"

"What do you mean? Marinette would've…" the words died in my throat. But he wouldn't…he wouldn't dare.

"Lay back. You're alive. You're alive."

He held me to his chest, and I didn't fight it.

"I combined the miraculouses. It brought you back. Tikki and Plaqq were both okay afterwards. Oh my God, Ren…"

As much as I wanted to stay in his embrace forever, he didn't fix the real problem.

"I stopped Fearium right before. I couldn't bring myself to pull Marinette into this. She's been through enough."

I felt rage in the pit of my stomach. He was supposed to.

But he did it out of love. Love makes you irrational at some times, and at least he didn't completely lose his marbles after I died.

"Adrien? Adrien are you there?" Natalie called from the other side of the door.

"Stay here. I'll deal with her. I don't want you to die again." He joked. He got up and walked to the door.

I grabbed the remote on the side of his bed, opening the window.

As he opened the door, I dove out the window and onto the roof. I overshot it by a ton, but I grabbed the ledge just before I fell off and died again. Wow, Adrien really knew me.

Pulling myself up, I had to duck down when I saw Adrien's father. Peeking over my hands, he had his back to me. Adrien was looking at his feet, clearly getting in trouble. Then, his father put a hand to his shoulder. Adrien said something, and his father agreed, then went to the door.

My muscles were straining. I've been doing a flex arm hang for way too long.

Before I could get up, Adrien's father turned back. I dropped back down again. How much longer?

I waited, trying to urge myself to hold on a little longer.

I looked over one more time, and Natalie and Adrien's father were gone. Thank God.

I used the last of the strength in my arms to pull myself up, and I lay on the roof, trying to catch my breath. I looked up, and no one was there. I bet you that Adrien went to my room or… I think fencing practice? You can't be sure.

I went back through the window, and sat on Adrien's bed. I looked over at the pillows.

"Blaise!" I scooped up the once sleeping lungana.

"Yes, I know. We're dead. Now go to sleep."

"No! Blaise, he fixed it. Adrien brought us back to life!"

"Really?" Blaise's eyes snapped open, and he started patting himself down.

"I'm not dead!" He laughed.

"I need to find Tikk-" Then he stopped in his tracks.

"You said _Adrien _did this. That means he combined miraculouses. Huh. Always wanted to see that happen. And I _missed_ it."

He flew out of the room, shouting Tikki's name. Then, there was the little tinkling sound of her voice.

I leaned back in the pillows.

"Now would be a great time for an akuma attack." I joked. When nothing happened, I pulled the blankets up.

"Perfect. I can sle-"

Something was off. The hairs on my neck went up, and I opened my half closed eyes. Something was hiding in the shadows, and-

"Ren! I thought you left." Adrien came back. The feeling left, but I knew something was still off.

"My father was upset that he couldn't find you. I said that you had to go to Marinette's for an emergency." Adrien bit his lip.

"He really likes you, which is odd since he hates everyone."

"That can't be true." I tried to justify his father's actions, but I couldn't.

"You may have been here for a year, but I've been here for seventeen. There's no pleasing him, but you seem to do it for him. I'm kinda jealous of you for that." He sat down on the bed, and covered his face with his hands.

"It's stupid, I know-"

"No. If it matters to you, it can't be that stupid." I moved behind him and put my arms around him. Adrien sighed and leaned back until we were both on our backs.

"You'll never understand what you mean to me, Ren. The universe isn't even close to what I want to give you."

I nodded, rubbing my cheek in his messy blonde hair.

"I love you, Kitten."

"As do I, Draco."

"Chat, he's on 4th street."

"Got it."

On the other side of the street, I could see him jumping from building to building, heading in my direction. The akumatized victim was at the Louvre Pyramid, and planned on using the glass to spread his powers through Paris.

"I've got eyes on him." Chat Noir launched off the last building and behind the victim.

"Of course he launches the second he's got eyes." I rolled my eyes.

"Chat Noir? Where's your dragon? Did she disappear?" The villain laughed, shaking his hands to activate the lights.

"No. Why would she?" I looked around, then saw the blue lines on his arms. Every time a blast was shot, the line would go down. Every time the blast made contact with something, the line went up. It was constantly changing.

"Chat, get up here!" I shouted, which drew the villain's attention to me.

I dodged the blasts as Chat got his tail up here.

"What are we doing? We need to get the akuma!"

"Just make sure the blasts don't get anything." I dropped as the white light wizzed over my head.

Soon, the blasts weren't coming as strong. The villain realizes that, too.

"No!" He looked around, then started running after the glass pyramid.

"Chat, be ready to destroy the pyramid. I'll handle him." I stretched out my back, then dove after the running figure.

"Get back here." I yawned, then called on Talons.

I gripped his wrists, and the gloves fell into particles. I grabbed the akuma and kissed it, stashing it in my pouch.

"I didn't even have to destroy the building." Chat looked down at his hand sadly.

"I didn't have to use Talons last time." I shrugged, wrapping my arm around his shoulders. He still looked sad.

"We have thirty minutes until lunch is over. I'll buy you something on the way over."

The dragon returned and I went to the victim.

"Where am I?" The man rubbed his head.

"You were akumatized. Don't worry, we handled it." Chat twirled his staff around.

"Oh, thank you! I don't know what came over me."

A woman and her child came running to him.

"Oh, Peter, I was so worried!" The woman wrapped the man in her arms.

"I'm okay, Laura. I'm okay."

The family hugged, and I felt sadness dig at my stomach. It's been almost three years since I've seen my family. I guess I've become some kind of Agreste, but it's not the same.

"Come on, Chat. I think we're done here."

I jumped into the nearest alleyway with no people in it.

"Wassup, SH?" Blaise spiraled out of my bracelet.

"Nothing. Headache." I lied. Blaise knew exactly what was wrong with me. We have a bond strong enough that he could basically read my thoughts. Not to brag or anything.

"Ren? You here?" Chat Noir swung into the alley.

"Over here, kitten." I put on a smile.

"Ready for lunch? There was this new sandwich place that opened up, and I thought it would be good."

Suddenly, I got the feeling I was being watched. I shook it off by jogging up to Chat. He de-transformed, grabbing my hand.

"I'm up for it."

He smiled absently. We walked out of the alley, hand in hand.

During science, I started spacing out. That akuma attack was really bothering me. I haven't been in any contact with my family in a while. Maybe it's time to call them.

"Excuse me, Miss. Can you please pay attention to the task at hand?" The science teacher tapped her foot impatiently.

"Yes ma'am sorry." I pushed the thought to the back of my brain. When I get back home, I'll call them.

"Earth to Ren." Adrien waves his hand in front of my face.

I looked at him, trying to snap out of my thoughts.

"Stop spacing out. You haven't even gotten past science." He looked at my work.

"Stop it." I whispered, staring down at my lap. I slowly took my paper out of his hand and put it back on the floor.

"Did I say something? I'm sorry." Adrien started freaking out.

I just picked up my pen. My brother used to do the same thing. We would fight, and then he might come to me and find any way to make me happy again.

"Ren, tell me what's wrong. I could help. You've been weird all week."

I just dropped my pen. Nothing could help right now. Adrien was silent for a second, then he stood up and offered me his hand.

"Please?" He looked into my eyes, smiling a little.

I knew he would persist, so I took his hand. He pulled me to my feet and into his arms. He started humming, and then we started to waltz around the room. I couldn't help it. I giggled, surprising myself. Adrien bent his head and rested his forehead on mine. He spun me around, having me rest against his sturdy frame. We fell on his couch, and he took the opportunity to get on top of me, stealing words out of my mouth with kisses.

"Don't be mad, okay?" Adrien brought us both back to reality.

"I'm not mad at you. It's nothing, really." I ran my fingers through his hair.

"Well, I've got a surprise for you." Adrien smiled. "We're going to go to Seoul."

"You're kidding!" My jaw dropped. Adrien started laughing.

"You haven't seen your family in years. It's about time." He pulled me into his lap. I buried my face in his chest and he rested his cheek in my hair. Nothing could tell anyone how much I love him.


End file.
